Pain isn’t always caused by something you can see..

Chiropractic is a safe and effective form of manual therapy involving a combination of techniques such as manipulation, soft tissue release and active muscular engagement to help reduce pain and restore optimal function. The primary focus is to help you understand what is going on with your body and what measures can be taken to help you function at your best - life is too short to live in pain. 

Chiropractors are medical professionals training to a doctoral level in diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal issues. This is a fancy way of saying, you have bones, joints, muscles, ligaments and fascia in the body which might be contributing to your pain. The biggest issue is that often pain coming from one of these components won’t show up on a scan and therefore it can be difficult to diagnose if there is nothing ‘visibly’ wrong.

Although painkillers can help manage pain levels, they are not going to be able to fix the problem. Also due to the current stress on the NHS resources, it is becoming increasingly difficult to be able to see a GP and often you are left for weeks having to live in pain before being able to see someone. 

So how do we know where the pain is coming from? 

There are over 360 joints in the body that can become aggravated if loaded incorrectly. For example, sitting in a prolonged poor posture or lifting/twisting/bending awkwardly. When the joint becomes irritated it can trigger a reaction causing the muscles to tighten to protect the area which often results in pain. Once you are in pain you then start to compensate and move differently which starts to overload other joints and so the process continues leading to long-term issues. 

Chiropractors and other manual therapists are trained in diagnosing musculoskeletal issues by listening to the history and identifying which area is the problem. By examining the body and carrying out certain tests they can confirm which muscle, or joint could be responsible for causing the complaint. 

Another very common complaint is disc bulging or disc herniations otherwise known as ‘slipped discs’. These are very common and unfortunately can be incredibly painful and cause a lot of issues. However many people find relief from pain caused by disc issues and benefit from receiving manual therapy, firstly by helping to reduce the back pain or radicular pain (pain into the arms or legs) and then to restore function to the body to prevent the disc from causing future issues. 

Chiropractors undergo a 5-year full-time intensive medical training based on research to qualify as primary healthcare practitioners. They are trained in a variety of techniques and will use what they feel is best suited to the individual person. Manual therapy techniques include diversified, activator, blocking, taping, dry needling, active release, massage gun, shockwave and ultrasound. Techniques are varied depending on the age of the person along with the severity of the complaint and personal preference. An explanation will always be given as to what is appropriate to use and consent is always required before continuing.