CHIROPRACTOR IN SOUTHAMPTON
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Do you suffer with back pain, neck pain, tension headaches or sciatica? Do you feel that your posture isn’t great? Feel like you should get your aches and pains assessed? Then a Chiropractor may be for you.
Our musculoskeletal system is made up of muscles, bones, joints, cartilage and tendons. These systems allow our body to move and protect our most value assets; our organs. Without these areas intact, not only do we start to feel “out-of-whack”, but our risk for dysfunction and pain becomes higher. This is where chiropractic manipulation and treatment comes into play.
The word chiropractic translates in Greek terms as “to heal by hand”. This is why it is known for its hands-on approach. A chiropractor is an accredited and recognised healthcare practitioner who is trained for 4 or 5 years at Masters University level in diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal disorders.
The main approach is to use hands-on manipulation of the spine, to reduce any pain or misalignment. This technique can be used on other parts of the body, depending on what treatment you’re after.
Chiropractic treatment is completely safe and clinically proven. Chiropractic manipulative techniques may result in small, painless clicking or cracking sounds, but this is a normal part of the procedure. It is in fact just air pockets being released from the joints – which reduces pain, improves function and increases range of motion. The manipulation is gentle, but if for any reason you feel discomfort, just let your chiropractor know.
By aligning the spine, this allows your body to function at its normal pace. Say for example you have a bad back from sitting behind a desk for too many hours, this can cause your spine to become dysfunctional and uncomfortable. With your spine curved, you’ll then have a tendency to hunch, which will affect your posture. Because your body will consider this normal, you will continue to do so until the real problems start occurring. When your back is out of sync, this then could affect how you walk. You may even sit in a certain way that affects one side more than the other. Now imagine you go several years putting more pressure on one side of your body – this could result in long term back pain which needs some assistance.
A chiropractor’s job is to diagnose your issue then decide which course of action should be taken next. By manipulating the spine, this will allow for muscular relaxation and a reduction of pressure on nerves and the surrounding tissues. These techniques teamed up with soft tissue modalities and rehabilitation exercises are great for long-term results and reduction of pain.
As stated previously, chiropractors don’t just treat standard back pain but can also help with issues from the following:
- Back, neck, shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and general bodily joint pain
- Pain from Osteoarthritis: Joint pain and stiffness
- Sciatica: Sciatic nerve pain due to compression
- Herniated disc: The outer disc putting pressure on the nerve
- Degenerative disc disease: discs losing flexibility, becoming dehydrated and losing shock absorption
- Limb length discrepancy: Having one leg shorter than the other
- Scoliosis
- Myofascial pain: Knots in the muscle, or trigger points causing deep achy pain
- Whiplash: When parts of the body are injured in due to impact from road traffic accidents
- Coccydynia: Pain developed in the tailbone
- Jaw pain/TMJ Dysfunction
- BPPV/Vertigo related dizziness
- Tension headaches & migraines
- Plantar Fasciitis – heel/foot pain
Overall, if you suffer from any of the above or think a chiropractor could benefit you, it’s always worth having a consultation to see what your options are.
Manipulation isn’t the only method used by Chiropractors. They may combine this with acupuncture, postural advice and rectification via stretches/exercises, general lifestyle and dietary advice, ice/heat compression, additional soft tissue techniques, rehabilitation and exercise programmes to get you on the road to recovery.
Nick at Watt Health uses other techniques such as Shockwave therapy, IASTM, dry-needling and taping in order to get your complaint better for longer.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Prior to your first session, you will have a 60-minute consultation to discuss any issues you are currently experiencing. This will involve a general questioning of your current situation, medical history and lifestyle. A full thorough assessment will be made to help ensure the best plan is put in place.
The chiropractor will examine your range of motion around the affected area, your general mobility, and your muscle tone and strength. By doing so will allow a treatment plan to take place. They will usually be able to diagnose the problem if you are unsure yourself what is going on with your body.
After you have completed this, you will then be ready for your first session. This should only be about 30 minutes or so, depending on the affected area.
During your session you will have a hands-on approach to what area is being treated, but no pain should be felt. There may be mild discomfort at times but nothing unbearable. If for whatever reason, it becomes painful, let your practitioner know.
Your spine, or area being treated will be manually placed into the correct alignment. Alongside this you may receive a massage to the area or even a hot or cold compress. Acupuncture can also be used in certain cases.
After your session is complete, you practitioner will give you any exercises you need to follow and make a follow up appointment to continue your treatment. It is important you complete your given exercises to see results.
Directly after your session you may feel slight discomfort, but this is perfectly normal. You should be advised to drink plenty of water as this keeps the vertebrae in your spine well hydrated. Also try to keep as mobile as possible as you want your new alignment to adjust into place. If you don’t keep on moving, your joints may become stiff. But all in all, you should feel a sense of relief to have your body on the road to recovery. Chiropractic treatment has numerous benefits.
THE BENEFITS
- It treats the cause of pain, not just the symptoms: It isn’t a painkiller, it is a solution to an actual problem
- Drug free
- It’s low risk: there is limited harm to be caused during a session
- It increases flexibility and mobility
- It reduces stress and anxiety
- You can use the service whilst pregnant
- It’s non-invasive
- It is a preventative for back pain
- It helps improve posture
- It increases energy levels
- It’ll help you sleep better
- It encourages holistic care
