Pain is the number one reason why people come in to see chiropractors. Thankfully, chiropractic is very effective at treating both acute and chronic pain. But how? Well, first, we need to find out why you are in pain. Pain is one of the ways the body communicates that something is wrong. It may be from a slip and fall, which could result in obvious tissue injury, but sometimes pain starts without provocation. In either case, we need to do some investigating. This includes getting to know your history, followed by an exam, imaging, blood work or muscle testing. Once the cause is determined, chiropractors usually recommend a series of adjustments to correct the dysfunction in the joints and remove the nerve interference. This can help relieve muscle tension as well as correct and stabilize the affected joints.

In addition to adjustments, chiropractors may use other modalities to further assist in their treatment plan, such as heat, ice, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, massage therapy, cold laser or stretching. Frequently, exercises are prescribed to help strengthen the muscles to prevent further injury. Many chiropractors will also use nutrition or diet recommendations to help reduce inflammation.

I see the best results in my practice by complementing traditional chiropractic care with a variety of tools to help the healing process, such as applied kinesiology, kinesiotaping, Brimhall technique, and Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis, to understand the root cause of the issue.

Katie Samsel is a licensed chiropractic physician and founder of Samsel Integrative Health at 305 Corporate Dr. E, Langhorne. For more information, call 215-944-8424 or visit SamselIntegrativeHealth.com.

June 2017