Chiropractic Therapy

At King Chiropractic & Laser Chelmsford, Massachusetts, we provide cutting-edge chiropractic care to improve flexibility and relieve pain. For over 12 years, we have provided effective relief to a wide variety of conditions that can stem from irregularities affecting the joints, spine, and muscles. It is our goal to not only treat pain and discomforts that affect our patients but also to educate the patients how to help themselves at home.

What is Chiropractic Therapy?

Chiropractic as an actual professional started in 1895 by D.D.Palmer, but there is evidence of spinal manipulation in ancient Greek and Chinese history. It seems that people have always intuitively known the importance of a flexible, well-aligned spine. The brain and spine control all of your body’s functions. If a spinal segment gets stuck or slightly misaligned, this is called a “subluxation”. According the traditional chiropractic theory, subluxations are the root cause of all diseases and disorders in the body. Over time, science has proven that it is much more complicated than that. You have to take into account genetics, environment, diet, germs, and so on. But we do know that subluxations can cause pain and dysfunction which further stresses the body.

It just makes sense to have an optimally functioning nervous system, and chiropractic is designed to provide this. The “chiropractic adjustment” comes in many forms, but they all have the same goal- restore proper motion and alignment to the joints.

What is Chiropractic Therapy Used For?

Chiropractic care does not involve invasive medical treatments or medications. Instead, we offer a range of therapies focused on correcting the musculoskeletal system. These therapies are especially effective at treating:
• Back and neck pain
• Headaches
• TMJ pain
• Shoulder pain
• Hip pain
• Sciatica
• Pinched nerves causing numbness/tingling
• Plantar fasciitis

Before we recommend any specific therapies, we begin by taking a full medical history and doing a thorough physical examination. If we suspect that your symptoms are being caused by a disease or serious medical condition, we will refer you to the appropriate medical professional. If we determine that you are a good candidate for chiropractic care, we have several techniques to choose from to get you the best results. Read on to learn more!

Types of Chiropractic Techniques Used

At King Chiropractic & Laser, we use a variety of different chiropractic techniques because we realize that every person is different. A 20 year old healthy athlete is going to be treated completely differently than an 80 year old person with advanced arthritis.
• Manual adjustments: This is the classic type of adjustment that most people are familiar with- the doctor uses their hands to deliver a quick, specific thrust to a restricted joint segment, sometimes causing an audible “pop”. Although action movies may say otherwise, the popping noise does not mean anything is breaking! It is just the sound of air bubbles popping in the joint. When done by a trained chiropractor, manual adjustments are very safe. That being said, they are not right for everyone. If a patient has severe arthritis or osteoporosis, for example, we would not use this technique.
• Drop table: In some cases, we use a “drop table” to increase the speed of an adjustment. With the patient lying on the table, the table pops up about an inch. The doctor then uses their hands to adjust the restricted joint while the table piece drops down quickly. The speed of the table drop creates more momentum and a quicker adjustment. It is great for adjusting the big pelvic joints and areas that are really stiff.
• Impulse: This is our most gentle technique and is usually our go-to for patients who are very sensitive, not comfortable with manual adjustments, or older patients with osteoporosis or arthritis. The Impulse adjusting tool looks like a little gun with a rubber tip at the end. We use it to deliver a very quick, gentle tap to a specific joint. It can also be used on the muscles to loosen them up.
• Traction: For patients with arthritis or disc herniations in the neck, we will typically do traction to the neck, either with our hands or a strap. The goal here is to create more space within the joints and take pressure off the nerves.
• Myofascial release: It is also important to address any areas of muscle tension surrounding the tight joints in order to get best results. We may use trigger point release, massage, or stretching to achieve this. We may also give you stretches or self-massage techniques to use at home.

What Are the Benefits and Risks of Chiropractic Care?

Chiropractic care is low-risk and non-invasive. With all of our techniques, we are simply facilitating your body’s own ability to heat itself. With any medical intervention, there are always some risks, but compared to drugs, injections, and surgeries, the risks posed by chiropractic care are very low. The most common side effect is some soreness after the adjustment. This usually only happens after the first adjustment (if at all), and it usually resolves within 24 hrs. More serious risks like fractures or sprains are extremely rare when the patient is appropriately screened and the chiropractor is well-trained. We have never seen this happen at King Chiropractic & Laser.

Some people worry about getting their necks adjusted because they have heard on the news about someone having a stroke after a neck adjustment. While it technically is possible to tear a vertebral artery during a manual neck adjustment, it is extremely rare- like one in a million. Typically it occurs when the artery is already partially damaged and the chiropractor does too aggressive of an adjustment. At King Chiropractic & Laser, we are very careful in screening patients to see if manual adjustments are appropriate. If someone has a history of strokes, is on blood thinners, has advanced arthritis, is over 65, or has a connective tissue disorder, we will usually not use this technique. For patients who do receive a manual neck adjustment, we take care to limit the amount of rotation and do it as gently as possible.

Chiropractic therapy also comes with many benefits, including less pain, numbness, and tingling, greater range of motion and flexibility, and better posture. These benefits also can lead to some “happy side effects”, such as:
• Better sleep
• Better mood and concentration
• Easier breathing- many asthma patients tell us that they feel like they can take deeper breaths after being adjusted
• Better digestion- sometimes adjusting the lumbar spine can stimulate the bowels to move
• Less sinus/ear pressure- sometimes after doing a neck adjustment the sinuses will drain
• Lower stress levels

Chiropractic Care by King Chiropractic & Laser Chelmsford, Massachusetts
 

Despite the strength and awesome regenerative power of the human body, small misalignments and injuries to the musculoskeletal system can have large consequences and cause considerable discomfort. At King Chiropractic & Laser we can treat these smaller conditions before they have a chance to develop into larger health issues.

If you have been suffering from pain and discomfort, don’t wait to see what happens next. Call 978-710-5163 and arrange for an examination by a qualified chiropractic professional from King Chiropractic & Laser in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. Your health and comfort are our top-priority.