Common Forms of Chiropractic Therapy in Vacaville

Chiropractic is a unique form of treatment because of how it focuses on spinal adjustment to treat patients with spinal problems. Apart from a chiropractic adjustment, there are other procedures that a Vacaville chiropractor can offer to manage a patient's care.

Even natural agents like heat, cold, water, light, massage, and exercise are common physiological therapeutic measures that are sometimes used by chiropractors. When controlled, these elements can become a beneficial influence on body functions and can help cure common lower back pain problems.

other forms of chiropractic therapy in Vacaville

These other forms of chiropractic therapy include the following:

• Exercise: Chiropractors can provide patients an exercise program that focuses on stretching and strengthening the back.
• Heat and Cold: Chiropractors alternate the use of heat and ice therapy to relieve the back pain of patients. Ice packs are used for a 10-to-15-minute period to numb the back and then switch to a heating pad to restore blood flow to the affected area and promote faster healing.
• Dietary Management: Many chiropractors will provide patients with a diet plan that could help with their back pain. Even dietary supplements are recommended after spinal manipulation.
• Massage: Chiropractors may massage the affected area to improve circulation, reduce inflammation and swelling associated with back pain, and even promote faster healing.
• Diathermy: This shortwave, electro-magnetic therapy passes the softer tissues and provides heat to denser tissues. Diathermy decreases muscle spasms, relaxes the muscles and connective tissues, and accelerates the healing process by increasing circulation on the affected area.
• Ultrasound: The sound waves of an ultrasound creates deep heat therapy that is applied to joints and soft tissues. It basically micro-massages the joints and soft tissues which in turn reduces back pain, stiffness, and spasms, but also increases blood flow that accelerates the healing process.
• Electrical Muscle Stimulation: Electrodes are placed on the skin that sends light electrical pulses to different areas of the body. The main purpose is to reduce inflammation, curtailing muscle spasms and relieving back pain.
• Hydrotherapy: Different temperatures and pressures of water are used on a patient to reduce the sensitivity of back pain. Hydrotherapy focuses on the body's reaction to hot and cold stimuli. The cold stimuli will numb the pain while the hot stimuli will promote blood flow and faster healing.
• Traction: A chiropractic traction massage involves the patient lying down while facing up then a system of rollers moves about the back. This movement stretches and massages the muscles in the back. Chiropractors may even use other traction devices that can stretch the spine, reduce pressure on the nerve roots and decompress the discs. This procedure is known as non-surgical spinal decompression.
• Cold Laser Therapy: Tiny particles of energy are carried in a laser and absorbed by the cell membrane's photoreceptors after penetrating the skin surface. The tissues and cells then convert this light energy into biochemical energy, which fuels a biological process that can reduce swelling, reduce back pain and inflammation, and improve circulation.
• Patient Education: A chiropractor will advise the patient with a variety of lifestyle modifications such as diet and nutritional programs, self-care strategies, and coping mechanisms that could benefit their lower back pain.