Chiropractic Helps When Active Lifestyles & Pain Collide
Life is good when you can do your morning run, work out later at the gym, and escape most weekends for biking or camping. That active lifestyle is one most of us admire and sometimes pull off.
But too much of a good thing can create lower back pain, strained, overworked muscles or other mystery pains that have to be solved. When that happens, chiropractic, along with your doctor’s advice, may work quite well to get you back in the game and keep you there.
I have seen this work for several active friends of mine, who love sixty mile touring bike rides, also rock climb, and not surprisingly, prove to be great runners. When pain showed up with unexpected twinges for each of them, they made the loop to the doctor and then onto the chiropractor, seeking the relief that would help keep them out there moving.
Goertz in Spine says chiropractic manipulative therapy in conjunction with standard medical care offers a significant advantage for decreasing pain and improving physical functioning, when compared with just using standard care, for men and women who are between 18 and 35 and are experiencing acute lower back pain.
Taking that cue you may want to see your doctor and your chiropractor the next time you come back from an active weekend with lower back pain, or other muscle and joint issues.
Visiting the Chiropractor
The initial visit will include spinal manipulation to evaluate spinal health, with a full medical history review, and an overall look at the patient’s lifestyle. The chiropractor will establish when the pain started, where it travels and what seems to aggravate the pain. During the visit the chiropractor will also assess posture and overall physical condition, reflexes and strength. Often the patient, the doctor and the chiropractor come together to map out a successful course of treatment. This could also involve relaxation techniques and more stretching exercises. The chiropractor’s goal will be help the patient return to regular activities, seeking pain relief without medications or surgery.
As I have observed this work, these active patients tended to see their chiropractors as their new health and fitness coaches. Often they were quicker to acknowledge painful twinges and used their chiropractors as a great sounding board for their future plans.
If that sounds like a plan for you or someone you know has encountered unexpected pain, consider seeing your chiropractor now.
Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of Race Across America