5 Answers to Your Most-Asked Chiro Questions

It’s true—the number of patients across the globe who’ve reaped the benefits of chiropractic care is now the highest it’s ever been. Amazing, right? And while that means more and more people are finding relief and embracing the importance of spinal health, it also means curiosity is at an all-time high. Let’s take a look at some of our most frequently asked questions!

Is Chiropractic Safe?

Very much so! Chiropractic has an excellent safety record. It’s a conservative, all-natural approach to healthcare that avoids invasive procedures or addictive drugs. In fact, malpractice rates between chiropractors and other healthcare professionals are very different—our malpractice premiums are only a small fraction of the cost compared to those for medical doctors.

Can I Adjust Myself?

Please don’t! Your chiropractic physician has years of training, education and experience under their belt and is a pro at adjusting your spine safely, correctly and accurately. A chiropractic adjustment versus bending and twisting yourself certain ways to “crack your back” are very different things—in fact, self-joint manipulation can be pretty counterproductive and sometimes dangerous, making an already unstable spine even worse.

Are All Patients Adjusted the Same Way?

No; every person is different and has his or her own unique needs. At Franklin Chiropractic & Accident Clinics, Inc., our doctors of chiropractic evaluate each person’s spinal issues and symptoms and develop an individual treatment plan that best addresses that specific patient’s concern.

What Causes that Popping Sound During an Adjustment?

We know that sometimes it can make people nervous, but in reality, the “popping” sound you hear during a chiropractic adjustment is nothing to be worried about. This sound is painless and completely harmless. It’s caused by natural gases in your body rushing to fill the partial vacuum that’s created when your joints shift. It’s not an indicator of any problems. In fact, not all adjustments make a sound! Pretty cool, right?

Why Should I Go to a Chiropractor?

It’s a common misconception that chiropractic only helps people with back pain—and while the American College of Physicians does recommend conservative care, like chiropractic, first for back pain sufferers, that’s not the only condition it may help! Chiropractic is helpful for a wide variety of health problems. It helps improve nerve system function, which in turn, encourages the body to heal.

Your Guide to Easy Neck Pain Relief

When you’re in pain, it can take away from every other aspect of your life.
Time with family, your social life, hobbies, even your work—it’s so hard to focus, to really get through the day.
Not to mention, well… it hurts. And neck pain is its own special sort of suffering. We know how hard it can be, and we’re here to help you. Let’s run through it: why you’re in pain, what’s causing it, and what you can do.
Here’s how you can start feeling better right now.

Let’s Talk About Your Pain

Do you work a desk job? Have you been in a recent car accident? Maybe you just text a lot and you’re constantly looking down at your phone.
Depending on the cause, neck pain can come in a variety of different forms and severities—from a pinched nerve to whiplash or postural problems to major injury.
If you’re reading this guide, chances are you know this kind of pain well, and it’s not just central to the neck, but can affect the shoulders and even cause headaches. It can be relative to one spot or it can radiate and fan across your whole upper body, including the arms. You may also experience numbing of the arms, muscle weakness and mobility issues.

Sound Familiar?

According to the American Chiropractic Association, here are some of the most common neck pain instigators:

• Injuries and Whiplash
• Growing Older
• Osteoarthritis
• Spinal Stenosis
• Degenerative Disc Disease
• Poor Posture/Daily Habits

How Do I Know if It’s Serious?

When you type “Neck Pain” into Google, one of the most frequently asked questions that pops up is “Is a sore neck a sign of cancer?” Rest assured—that’s actually pretty rare. In fact, neck pain is something that will likely affect most adults at one point during their lifetimes. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, but… that doesn’t make it normal.
Simply put: It’s serious. Any amount of pain is serious.
That nagging tension? That knot on the top of your shoulder? It’s all a big deal, because the truth is that we’re not meant to live in pain.

5 Natural Ways to Ditch Neck Pain

So, what can you do to feel better? A lot of people reach for those muscle relaxers or anti-inflammatories, which can actually do more harm than good. Here are some all-natural methods that may be able to help you out.

Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Not only does inflammation make your muscles more susceptible to pain and injury, but it can also slow down the healing process. When your neck is inflamed, it limits your range of motion, overall strength and flexibility. Since food fuels the body, and can be some of the best medicine around, consider adopting an anti-inflammatory diet that will do the body good.

Inflammatory

• Refined sugars and grains
• Processed meat and red meat
• Alcohol and soda
• Packaged foods
• Margarine, shortening, lard

Anti-Inflammatory

• Green, leafy vegetables
• Wild-caught salmon
• Bone broth
• Healthy fats like organic, unrefined coconut oil
• Probiotic foods (yogurt)
• Fermented foods

 

ICE Therapy

For tension and muscle soreness, ice therapy is a great form of pain relief! Cold restricts blood flow and reduces inflammation and swelling. Whenever there’s bleeding in underlying tissue—think sprains, strains or bruising—ice may help! But keep in mind, too much cold can hurt you. Don’t put bags of ice or packs directly on the skin, because that could risk skin, tissue or nerve damage. Instead, wrap it in a soft towel and set it on the area in question. And remember—no longer than 20 minutes a session!
Note that if you have bad circulation, then cold therapy probably isn’t for you. People with cardiovascular disease should always consult with their doctor before using cold therapy.

Essential Oils

Many people find success using essential oils topically when they’ve got sore or strained muscles—and it’s definitely worth looking into for natural pain relief. Depending on what kind of pain it is, there are a variety of options to choose from. Here are only a few!

• Peppermint Oil: Cooling and anti-inflammatory
• Lavender Oil: Relief from pain and swelling
• Sandalwood: Tension relief

But wait! Here’s a little bit of essential oil best practice. Most oils must be diluted with a carrier oil, like coconut or almond. There are some oils you can apply “neat” (directly on the skin), however, do your research first and test a small part of your skin to ensure you don’t have a reaction. Also, the essential oil industry is incredibly unregulated; be sure to purchase from a well-known brand that sells certified therapeutic grade oils. For individual recipes, take to the web! There are tons of tutorials you can find on YouTube as well as recipe guides provided by the brand you purchase your oils from.

Bedtime Neck Support

The kind of pillow you use absolutely has the ability to hurt or strain your neck. It’s time to invest in a quality pillow. Look for one that’s made of firmer foam and materials that press back, effectively supporting the head. It’s also crucial that your pillow contours to your head, neck and shoulders, offering built-in cervical support.
Pillows that support your cervical spine actually look a lot different than the ones you’re used to seeing. The center cavity provides support for both your head and neck. This can help you avoid experiencing or exacerbating headaches, neck sprains and strains, tingling and numbness in the arms and hands and more.

The Text Neck Stretch

A common reason for neck pain? Excessive texting! As you look down at your phone, it can push your head forward and hunch your shoulders. This puts strain on the spine and may result in headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain and loss of lung capacity. Of course, working on your posture is key, but stretching can be important too! Let’s open it back up with a quick stretch that may help you find relief:

1. Sit or stand with your hands behind your head.
2. With your elbows out, slowly squeeze your shoulder blades back.
3. Bring your head and shoulders backward, arching the upper middle back.
4. Hold this position for 10-20 seconds and then slowly release.

 

What If It’s Not Enough: Fixing the Root Problem

The tips listed above will help you manage your symptoms, and they’re great for temporary relief, but honestly, they won’t fix anything. In order to eliminate your symptoms for good, treatment needs to address the root of the problem.
So, why are you in pain? What’s actually causing it? The answer may go a little deeper than you expect—namely, your spine.
The neck houses the uppermost part of your spine (the cervical spine) and has the important job of holding up your head. Not only does it have this constant weight placed on it, but it’s one of the most utilized parts of the body.
Think about it—not a day goes by where you don’t actively use your neck. It bends, twists and moves in every way you need it to, and that really opens up its susceptibility to injury, strain and wear and tear.
This constant stress can affect the cervical spine itself, causing misalignments (subluxations) in the spinal vertebrae. These misalignments can wreak havoc on your entire body, because when the vertebrae are knocked out of alignment, it can effectively mute you brain-to-body communication system.

Fixing the Root Problem

They key to reducing joint pain long term is to adjust the cervical spine where vertebrae may be out of alignment, thus causing the nerves to be pinched. A chiropractor utilizes the chiropractic adjustment to manipulate the spine back into optimal alignment—taking pressure off the nerves and allowing the body to function at its best.

Should I Use Heat or Ice for Pain?

Did you get hurt during your workout? It’s time to grab the heating pad… or the ice pack… or both—who even knows! There’s a lot of confusion when it comes to using heat or cold to help treat common exercise injuries like strains, sprains, pulled muscles, shin splits, knee injuries and tenderness. Let’s put an end to it once and for all! Here’s your temperature care breakdown, so you know when it’s time to sing a song of fire or one of ice. 
 

Ice, Ice, Baby

As a general rule, always choose ice for injuries and inflammation. Cold restricts blood flow and reduces inflammation and swelling. Whenever there’s bleeding in underlying tissue—think sprains, strains or bruising—ice treatment is the way to go. You can use cold therapy in two ways: immediate or rehabilitation.
Immediate treatment: helps prevent the injured area from becoming stiff by reducing tissue fluid.
Rehabilitation: aims to restore normal function to an affected area by reducing pain and spasms, which in turn allows for better movement.
If you have bad circulation, then cold therapy probably isn’t for you. If you apply ice for too long (or directly!) then skin, tissue or nerve damage becomes a possibility. Folks with cardiovascular disease should always consult with their doctor before using cold therapy.

Turn Up the Heat

Usually, heat is the best method for relaxing—whereas ice restricts blood vessels, heat opens them, increasing blood flow to an affected area. This is perfect for most aches and pains, and it’s also really great for repairing damaged tissue since increased blood flow stimulates healing. Minor stiffness and tension can usually be relieved with about 15-20 minutes of heat therapy.
Do not feel the burn! When using heat therapy, you want to keep a nice, even warmth. If you have swelling or bruising, heat isn’t the right call. Never use it near open wounds, and for people with heart disease or hypertension, always ask your doctor before using this treatment.

The Ultimate Treatment

When it comes to injuries caused by physical activity, cold and heat are super beneficial, but they’re not long-term solutions. A healthy musculoskeletal system is critical to overall health and healing, affecting how the entire body functions. Regular adjustments of the spine help return the body to a normal state, reducing tension and pain by utilizing the body’s natural healing process. Choosing chiropractic as the first line of defense once injured decreases the likelihood of surgery and further injury!

The Verte-Breakdown: Your Lumbar Spine

The Importance of Your Lumbar Spine

The lumbar spine is the lowest region of your spine! It’s comprised of five vertebrae in the lower abdomen and hips, and is built for power and stability, bearing the weight of the entire torso and giving the hips and legs the ability to flex and move. It is a strong coat of armor, protecting the base of your spinal cord so it can do its job without interference.

When Your Lumbar Spine is Misaligned

Most people think of the spine in regards to posture, movement and stability, and while those are all important functions, it’s got another crucial role to play—protecting the spinal cord. Messages from the brain travel down the spinal cord, branch out into the nerves and are transmitted to the rest of the body. This is how your organs know how to function and heal.
However, when there’s a misalignment in the vertebrae of the spine, also known as a subluxation, this process is disrupted. And unfortunately, these misalignments can happen at any time; an accident, daily habits and behaviors, nutritional intake, stress and even toxins and chemicals can move your vertebrae out of place.
This puts pressure on the spinal nerves and effectively cuts off communication within the nervous system. When left unchecked, these misalignments can affect the body in unexpected ways. Take a look at each vertebra and how it connects with different organs and areas in the body. And most importantly, identify any possible symptoms that could arise from a subluxation in that vertebra!

Lower Back

Lumbar Spine

Vertebrae	Parts of the Body	Possible Symptoms
L1	Large intestines and inguinal rings	Constipation, colitis, dysentery, diarrhea and ruptures or hernias
L2	Appendix, abdomen and upper leg	Cramps, difficulty breathing and minor varicose veins
L3	Sex organs, uterus, bladder and knees	Bladder troubles, painful or irregular periods, miscarriages, bed wetting, impotency and knee pain
L4	Prostate gland, low back muscles and sciatic nerve	Sciatica, lumbago, difficult or painful urination and back aches or pain
L5	Lower legs, ankles and feet	Circulation problems, weak legs, ankles and arches, cold feet and leg cramps

Choose Conservative and Safe Chiropractic Care First

When it comes to health and healthcare in the United States, most would agree we have many issues. Not only is the overall state of health in this country rather poor, but our system of “treating” illness, disease and injuries is focused on quick fixes, after-the-fact treatments and short-term care. The chiropractic community has set out to change this model—and you’re a part of that change!
At Franklin Chiropractic & Accident Clinics, Inc., we provide our patients drug and surgery-free solutions to all too common conditions like back pain, neck pain, headaches and more. Here’s a bit more on conservative care—and why it’s an important approach to improving your health and staying well.

What is conservative care?

Just as it sounds, conservative care means to take a cautious, safe and moderate approach to treating a health issue. Unfortunately, many people are recommended aggressive, costly and often risky treatments for all kinds of illness and disease. For example, back and neck pain treatment within the medical community can often include spine surgeries, spinal injections and prescription drugs, and many times these treatments do not solve the problem, mask symptoms or cause further issues down the road.

How does chiropractic fit into conservative care?

Chiropractic is one of the best examples of conservative care as it is a safe, holistic, drug-free and non-invasive method to diagnosis and treat pain, and also maintain and enhance overall health and well-being. Your expert chiropractor uses gentle spinal manipulation and therapeutic and rehabilitating exercises to address pain and symptoms. In addition, chiropractors can advise patients on important nutritional, ergonomic and lifestyle changes.
All doctors of chiropractic have undergone extensive schooling and training through nationally accredited programs, amassing a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical internship.

Who should choose conservative care?

While we can’t possibly say that a conservative care route like chiropractic will be to any or all health issues, it should certainly be considered as a first (and hopefully only!) step. Reducing the need for drugs or surgery could be critical to your overall health in the long-term. Of course, if your condition is best treated by another method or medical professional, your chiropractor will advise you of this.
We are proud to be an organization working toward creating a better healthcare system that serves patients’ health and well-being first—and we're proud to continue to serve you. We congratulate you on your commitment to a healthier, pain-free life!