Benefits of Regular Chiropractic Care

Key Takeaways

• Chiropractic care is the healthcare approach of using spinal adjustments and general exercises to promote healing in the body and alleviate pain through natural and non-invasive methods.
• Common conditions addressed by chiropractic care include neck and back pain, joint pain, stiffness, headaches, and more.
• Benefits of chiropractic care include physical benefits like reduced pain and increased mobility,  preventive health benefits like stress reduction, and other long-term health benefits, like injury prevention and reduced reliance on pain medication.
• Regular chiropractic treatments are one component of an overall holistic wellness plan, and it’s important to consult with your doctor to determine where it fits.

Introduction

Consistent chiropractic care offers several great benefits, from alleviating pain and discomfort to preventing injury by improving posture and range of motion. Anyone can consider chiropractic care as a treatment method for either addressing preexisting back and neck pain or improving spinal alignment to avoid future concerns.

However, as with any type of healthcare, finding the right provider and maintaining consistency in your treatment plan is crucial. This guide covers some of the key benefits of seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis and what you should expect out of making a habit of pursuing care.

What Is Chiropractic Care?

Chiropractic care is the medical practice of using physical, non-surgical adjustments to alleviate musculoskeletal pain and discomfort, as well as prevent future physical health concerns. The philosophy behind chiropractic care is that the body is capable of healing itself with the support of non-invasive exercises and treatments. Chiropractic care is a natural, medication-free approach to pain management and long-term mobility, focusing instead on spinal adjustments and manual manipulation of the muscles and joints to support alignment in the body.

Chiropractic care often goes hand-in-hand with other holistic health principles for comprehensive treatment, including nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices. Regular chiropractic adjustments can be both an excellent treatment and a preventive care method. 

Conditions Chiropractors Commonly Treat

Chiropractors commonly treat a wide range of conditions caused by misalignment, tension, or pressure in the body. These professionals often focus on conditions that can be addressed through spinal manipulation but can also address conditions through joint and muscle adjustments. 

Chiropractors commonly treat some of these conditions:

• Back pain or disc pain
• Neck pain
• Whiplash
• Joint pain
• Stiffness
• Sciatica
• Motor vehicle accident injuries
• Muscle spasms
• Sports injuries

Although helpful for treating these specific conditions, chiropractic care can also be a valuable preventive measure and support overall wellness. Receiving consistent chiropractic care can promote general mobility and flexibility.

Why Consistency of Chiropractic Treatment Matters

As with most treatments, chiropractic care is most beneficial when you can stay committed to it and keep it up consistently. Consistent care allows you to maximize and sustain the potential benefits of chiropractic adjustments—regular appointments will enable you to maintain alignment, stay flexible, and sustain pain relief.

It also may take several sessions before you start to feel the results from treatment. It’s the commitment and consistency behind these alignments that lead to reduced pain, improved posture, and overall better biomechanics for long-term benefit.

Physical Benefits of Regular Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care is not only an effective pain management tool, but it can also provide improvements for flexibility, mobility, and athleticism. Altogether, regular chiropractic care offers the following benefits. 

Reduced Back and Neck Pain

Chiropractic care is a recommended treatment for back and neck pain. The Journal of the American Medical Association found that spinal manipulation reduces lower back pain in individuals who follow consistent treatment, compared with usual medical treatments alone. Spinal manipulation and targeted exercises from a skilled chiropractor can be a worthwhile addition to a pain management program.

Improved Joint Function and Mobility

During a chiropractic appointment, a chiropractor will apply controlled force to release gases like nitrogen and carbon dioxide that are trapped in your joints or gently stretch your joints past their typical range of motion. Releasing these gases and stretching the joints promotes enhanced movement and alignment, supporting improved function and mobility. 

Better Posture and Spinal Alignment

Chiropractic care focuses on spinal manipulation, which can help correct spinal alignment and posture by making adjustments to support a neutrally positioned spine. A chiropractor will also provide beneficial tips and advice for improving your posture on a regular basis so that you can continue to make improvements outside of appointments.  

However, posture cannot be fixed in a day, so it is important that individuals continue to seek chiropractic care on a regular basis. If you believe you have bad posture, consider seeing a chiropractor at least weekly for about three weeks with realignments every few months. 

Fewer Headaches

Headaches may often be the product of tension or misalignment in the body; chiropractic care helps reduce tension headaches by supporting the alignment of the spine and improving posture. Many tension headaches are cervicogenic, which means that they originate from the neck area. Chiropractic care can release gas buildup in joints in the region and promote better posture, which will also take tension out of the area, resulting in fewer headaches.

Enhanced Athletic Performance

Many benefits of regular chiropractic care go hand in hand. Realignment of the spine and joints, improved flexibility, and enhanced mobility all contribute to improved athletic performance in those who receive consistent chiropractic care. Chiropractic care not only allows athletes to focus on their activity over their pain, but also allows them to be more physically equipped for the movement and strain that their sport requires.

Wellness and Preventive Benefits

Although chiropractic care is first and foremost considered to be beneficial for your physical health, it also offers multiple benefits for your mental, emotional, and overall wellness.

Better Nervous System Function

By targeting the spine and the neck, the center of the nervous system, chiropractic adjustments promote better nerve function. With a focus on realigning the spine through adjustments, regular chiropractic care can help prevent injuries like pinched nerves and slipped discs that can cause significant nerve pain and discomfort that spreads throughout the body. Other elements of chiropractic care, like soft tissue work, stretching, and electrotherapy, also support reducing pain and inflammation that can affect the nerves. 

Support for Stress Reduction

Like a nice massage, chiropractic care can help reduce pressure and tension in the body, reducing stress. The mechanics of these treatments also promote the release of hormones in the body, like oxytocin and cortisol, which balance out your stress response and promote feelings of calmness and relaxation. 

Improved Sleep Quality

This stress reduction, along with reduced tension in the body, can improve your sleep quality, allowing you to feel more comfortable at night and recharged in the morning. By addressing pain and discomfort, chiropractic care can prevent you from tossing and turning throughout the night, empowering you to sleep through the night and get better rest. 

Increased Energy Levels

On top of the many benefits chiropractic care offers, spinal adjustments, general massages, and other exercises help improve blood flow, which may offer increased energy levels. Between the benefits of pain relief, higher sleep quality, and improved mobility as you move through your routine, you’re likely to feel an extra boost throughout the day.

Benefits for Everyday Activities

The benefits of chiropractic care can show themselves not just when people experience consistent pain but also in day-to-day activities like walking around the grocery store.

Increased Flexibility

Chiropractic spinal adjustments, soft-tissue work, and intentional stretching all help improve the flexibility and range of motion of your muscles and joints. This flexibility means that you’re less likely to strain or pull something if you slip and overstretch a muscle because your body has better adapted to wider and more versatile movements.

Better Movement Throughout the Day

Consistent chiropractic care improves your posture and mobility, which supports better movement as you navigate your daily activities. Consistent chiropractic work promotes smoother ergonomics, more flexible muscles, and more comfortable joints, minimizing discomfort during long periods of walking, standing, or sitting.

Fewer Flare-Ups of Chronic Pain

If you experience chronic joint or back pain, chiropractic adjustments can reduce the instances of flare-ups. Chiropractic care is particularly beneficial for managing pain in individuals with conditions like arthritis. Chiropractors can offer a range of treatments for people with chronic pain flare-ups, even if that doesn’t include spinal adjustments, which are often not recommended during an active flare. Common treatments include infrared technology, electrotherapy, and soft-tissue therapy. 

Long-Term Health Advantages

When followed consistently, chiropractic care offers several long-term health benefits.

Preventing Future Injuries

Many injuries, like pinched nerves or neck and back pain, can be caused by poor posture. Chiropractic care focuses on realigning your spine to improve your posture, which reduces the pressure put on your joints and spine while minimizing your chances of such injuries.  Because chiropractic care also improves flexibility and mobility, it equips your body to handle occasional overexertion and general day-to-day activities with less risk of pulling a muscle.

Reduced Reliance on Pain Medications

Some studies show that regular chiropractic care may be more effective at addressing pain than medications, opening the door to less reliance on these medications and 90% decreased odds of early and long-term opioid use. 

The American College of Physicians supports the use of therapies like chiropractic care as a first-line treatment for lower back pain, before medication. As the general population is becoming increasingly dependent on pain medications to address chronic pain, which offers several drawbacks, chiropractic care provides a safe and effective alternative to pain medications.

Better Mobility and Balance With Age

As we age, mobility and balance become more difficult to manage, whether because of age-related conditions like arthritis or simply a lack of regular exercise. Chiropractic care both helps treat age-related conditions that affect mobility and encourages movement to sustain healthy muscle and joint function as we get older.

What to Expect From Regular Chiropractic Visits

A chiropractic visit is often personalized to your care needs. When visiting a chiropractor, you can expect the following:

• Initial Assessment – Your chiropractor will begin with a consultation to understand any pain points or areas of concern you may have before performing a physical assessment of your alignment and levels of tension.
• Treatment – After the assessment, your chiropractor will consider treatments like spinal adjustments, joint adjustments, and soft tissue therapy.
• Long-term Planning – Finally, your provider will discuss an ongoing treatment plan that addresses your needs, setting expectations and planning future appointments.

Expect your provider to discuss future appointments with you. Chiropractic visits can be beneficial as often as multiple times per week or as infrequently as once every few months, but treatment plans depend on the individual and their needs.

When Chiropractic Care May Not Be Appropriate

Chiropractic care may not be appropriate when individuals have significant health conditions, such as osteoporosis, bone fractures, joint infections, or severe arthritis. Individuals experiencing symptoms like numbness, tingling, or fever should also avoid chiropractic care. 

For those who have attempted chiropractic care, it is also not appropriate when you experience increased pain or headaches during visits. In these instances, it’s advised to monitor how your body responds to conditions and discontinue care if you experience any negative side effects. 

How Chiropractic Care Fits Into a Holistic Wellness Plan

Although chiropractic care is highly beneficial, it is only one element of a holistic wellness plan. Taking additional steps to promote your general health and wellness only enhances the potential benefits of your chiropractic visits.

Include all these elements for the best healthcare outcomes:

• A healthy diet – Combined with a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet complete with fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and lean proteins, chiropractic care can promote healthy musculoskeletal function and overall wellness.
• Regular exercise – Low-impact strength training and cardio exercises can help build muscle and improve flexibility to both reduce and prevent pain. 
• Regular check-ups – Visiting your doctor at least yearly for an annual checkup, and more regularly for chronic conditions, will allow you to monitor your overall wellness and take additional action to manage any concerns.

Keep in mind, chiropractic care is not a replacement for all medications or treatments, and where it fits in your healthcare depends significantly on your condition. Discuss your healthcare needs with your primary care doctor so you can determine where chiropractic adjustments fit into your overall healthcare management plan. 

Trust the Experienced Chiropractic Team at Arrowhead Health Centers

Regular chiropractic care can be incredibly beneficial for holistic health and wellness, offering support with everything from neck pain to improved balance. For the best possible results, it’s crucial that you receive adjustments from a skilled, trustworthy provider.

Find reliable, top-tier chiropractic care in Arizona at Arrowhead Health Centers. Our experienced team of chiropractors offers expert care that puts the patient first, building customized recovery plans that address your individualized needs. Plus, with three convenient locations across Arizona and the ability to schedule either same-day or next-day appointments, we make it easy for you to access quality care when you’re most in need.

Schedule your chiropractic appointment at Arrowhead Health Centers today.

Frequently Asked Questions