Do you suffer from back pain, neck pain, or frequent headaches? Depending on the cause of your pain, there’s an alternative therapy that could bring you relief and it’s called dry needling. For people who have never heard of dry needling before, it can sound a bit scary. Many wonder if it’s the same thing as the traditional Chinese therapy called acupuncture. In today’s post from Flex Chiropractic, we’re going to discuss the differences between the two and why one may be a safer and more effective alternative to managing pain. Keep reading and then contact Flex Chiropractic if you have additional questions or would like to schedule an appointment.
What is Acupuncture?
Many people have heard of acupuncture, but you might not be familiar with how it works or the theory behind it. Acupuncture is deeply rooted in Chinese traditional medicine. It is believed that pain and illness are a result of an imbalance in the energy or qi (pronounced “chi”) within our body. In order to restore balance and promote health, an acupuncturist uses very thin needles and inserts them into strategic points that are intended to help rebalance the flow of energy.
Some people have found relief from various ailments including back pain, respiratory disorders, osteoarthritis, and headaches, but there are some risks. First, science has yet to prove the effectiveness of acupuncture and there is little evidence as to why it may work for some. Second, many acupuncturists have little formal training and some complications have been reported from the use of nonsterile needles and improper delivery of treatments.
What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a safe, pain-relieving treatment performed by a trained, skilled therapist. Dry needling uses extremely thin, monofilament needles to penetrate the skin for the purpose of eliciting a twitch response and treating underlying muscular trigger points. Although it may sound scary or painful, there’s no reason to be afraid. The needles used are so small that it’s virtually impossible to feel them.
Although dry needling may sound similar to acupuncture, it is in fact very different. Acupuncture is rooted in Chinese Medicine and functions to “restore energy balance.” Dry needling, however, is rooted in Western Medicine and uses the understanding of the musculoskeletal system to treat patients by stimulating the myofascial trigger points that are causing the problem.
Dry Needling to Reduce Pain
If you suffer from chronic or acute pain as a result of injury, arthritis, or poor posture, dry needling may be able to help. It not only helps to relieve pain by stimulating the trigger points that cause pain, but it also helps to activate the immune system and increase blood flow.
Although many patients have found relief with dry needling, it can be more effective when used in conjunction with other treatments like chiropractic treatments, ultrasound, and massage. All of these treatments seek to heal the body from within instead of relying on potentially dangerous and risky alternatives like surgery and opioid medication. With regular treatments, dry needling can be a very effective and safe way to manage pain and improve range of motion.
Contact Flex Chiropractic
At Flex Chiropractic, we take a holistic approach to wellness, which is why we offer several alternative therapies to help our patients find relief and restore their health. At the Flex Chiropractic office in Columbia, we offer dry needling as well as ultrasound, cold-laser therapy, massage, chiropractic adjustments, decompression, and more. If you’d like to learn more about how we can help you live a life free from pain, contact our office today. We’ll schedule an appointment at a time that works for you so we can discuss your needs and concerns.
As you’ve probably noticed, many chiropractic offices are going beyond treatments that would have been found in clinics of the past. While chiropractic started out as simply adjustments, modern offices will offer a large variety of treatments such as kinesiology taping, ultrasounds, cold-laser therapy, massage, and electrical stimulation. Today we’re going to talk about another way that we can help our patients: cryotherapy.
When we offer cryotherapy to our patients, they are often unsure of what we’re talking about. That’s because, while the effects of cold as a way of treating the human body have been known for a long time, it’s just recently made its way into chiropractic practices. Let’s take a look at how it works and how it might be able to make you feel better.
What Is Cryotherapy?
If you’ve ever used an ice pack to reduce swelling to a sore muscle, or put a cold washcloth on your forehead in order to cool down, you’ve experienced the benefits of cold used to make the body feel better. In short, it’s any form of body cooling for therapeutic purposes.
Clinical cryotherapy goes well beyond cold compresses, though, and uses special equipment to cool specific parts of the body.
How Is It Performed?
There are two popular methods that are most commonly found at some local chiropractors. The first is spot cooling, which is where a canister of super-cooled liquid is used to cool specific areas of the body. (Think of it as a can of compressed air that gets temperatures much lower.)
The second type is a whole-body cryotherapy chamber, which is large enough for a person to step into.
Who Can It Help?
Cryotherapy has three very distinct ways in which it can help those who visit a chiropractic office.
Reduced Pain
Those who undergo cryotherapy, whether it’s because of muscular or skeletal pain, often see a reduction in pain. That’s often due to…
Reduced Inflammation
Cryotherapy reduces inflammation and swelling, which can actually speed up the healing process after an injury. This is most likely brought about thanks to…
Increased Blood Flow
The body redirects blood flow to areas of the body that are cold. Using cryotherapy to cool parts of the body ensure that blood (including the oxygen and nutrients it carries) is directed to the parts of the body that are coldest.
Is Cryotherapy Right For You?
Cryotherapy might sound uncomfortable at first, but most patients actually feel very invigorated by it. Still, it’s not for everyone, as the invigoration it offers can affect those with certain medical conditions. Before we offer it as an option for you, we’ll be sure to ask you about your medical history.
Let’s Talk About Cryotherapy!
We’ve seen some excellent benefits for those who have sought cryotherapy out, and we’d love to talk to you about how it might help. Whether you’ve recently experienced an injury or are simply looking to increase blood flow to painful areas, we’re ready to discuss this wonderful treatment. Contact your local chiropractor in Columbia or Lexington and discover the benefits of cryotherapy!
The benefits of ice treatments have been around since humans have had aches, pains, and injuries. Ice helps reduce inflammation, reduce swelling, and aid the healing process. In the 21st century, cryotherapy has taken the benefits of ice treatments to a superior level — as well as timely with the average treatment lasting only three minutes.
Flex Chiropractic in Lexington offers cold laser therapy sessions to help improve pain, aches, and mobility. In this blog post, we’ll review in brief just a few of the benefits of cryotherapy. Contact us today to get started!
WHAT IS CRYOTHERAPY?
Cryotherapy is a therapeutic technique where the whole body or parts of the body are exposed to extremely low temperatures in order to solicit a response. Below, we’ll examine just a few of the health benefits of cryotherapy.
THE BENEFITS OF CRYOTHERAPY
Cryotherapy and cold laser therapy both work to help patients in many areas of their well-being, from the physical ailments of pain to depression, which afflicts the brain. Flex Chiropractic in Lexington offers cold laser therapy to help patients who suffer from lower back pain. These low-powered lasers will help to increase blood flow and bring in vital nutrients your body needs to rid itself of inflammation and thus pain. Cold laser therapy also works well on joint pain.
THE FLEX CHIROPRACTIC DIFFERENCE
Flex Chiropractic in Lexington is the best local chiropractor. We offer a variety of services, from chiropractic adjustments on all ages, including pregnancy adjustments, as well as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and cold laser therapy. Begin your road to recovery. Call to speak with one of our expert chiropractors today!
Healing comes from many different sources. Sometimes a medicine will come from a natural source and then be synthesized into a Western medicine. Other times the body can simply take care of itself and doesn’t need any additional treatment, like when you bump your arm and get a bruise. In the most extreme circumstances, a doctor will have to perform surgery in order to set the body straight.
Chiropractic is yet another source of care that has been discovered and proliferated around the world. While our chiropractic clinic offers many different types of alternative medicine that are both traditional (such as massage therapy) and state of the art (cold laser therapy and cryotherapy), today we’re going to focus on the core of our business: physical adjustments.
What Is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a form of alternative medicine. It is primarily focused on manipulating the spine in order to treat problems associated with the musculoskeletal system. Some chiropractors believe that its primary usefulness is limited to the skeleton and related system. Others believe that regular chiropractic adjustments can positively affect the entirety of the body, treating anything from diseases to allergies.
Chiropractic is formed from two Greek words: hand and practical. To most ears it sounds like chiropractic should always be an adjective, such as in the phrases chiropractic care of chiropractic medicine. But chiropractic is a noun by itself, so saying “we practice chiropractic” is perfectly accurate.
The Founder
Chiropractic is a relatively new form of alternative medicine, especially when you consider that Eastern practices like acupuncture have been around for thousands of years. But chiropractic is neither ancient or foreign; it began in Davenport, Iowa in 1895.
Daniel David Palmer, also known as D.D., was wary of the traditional medical community. (Considering it was the end of the 19th century, we don’t blame him!) A man named Harvey Lillard told Palmer that he had suffered from severely-reduced hearing for nearly two decades, and that the reduction in hearing had been accompanied by a pop in his back. Palmer, having heard of alternative medicine such as osteopathy and bone setting, gave Lillard a spinal manipulation. Days later Lillard described his hearing as being nearly back to normal.
Both D.D. and his son Bartlett Joshua Palmer were both religious men who were convinced that the revelations of chiropractic had been revealed in order to better align the life force that represents God’s presence in man. He believed that subluxation, or the misalignment of the spine, was the cause of all human diseases.
The Growth
For a few years D.D. Palmer kept his study of chiropractic within the family. But when he noticed the good it was doing for them, he decided to take on some students and open the Palmer School of Chiropractic. This was the first school of chiropractic in the world.
One of D.D.’s students was his son, Bartlett Joshua (B.J.). B.J. was convinced that chiropractic was an excellent alternative to the medicine of the time. Eight years after the school opened, B.J. took over and expanded enrollment. Many of the chiropractic schools of today were founded by graduates of the Palmer School of Chiropractic.
The Pushback
For over a century there has been contention between the American Medical Association and practitioners of chiropractic. D.D. Palmer himself was jailed for practicing medicine without a license. Over the course of around 60 years, chiropractors have won the right in all fifty states to secure licensing that is separate from traditional doctors.
The Splits
The difference between scientifically-minded people and those who retain the mystical or religious aspects has caused numerous splits within chiropractic over the years. Another split was between those who wanted to use devices, such as x-rays, in order to assist with chiropractic. Those who didn’t want to use equipment were known as “straights,” while those interested in using equipment were called “mixers.”
Today
In today’s world there is still a divide in the chiropractic community. While some adhere to its mystical roots, the majority of chiropractors have extensive medical training and many are doctors. Most use a variety of equipment in order to assist, such as drop tables and decompression equipment. A chiropractic clinic isn’t just a place to get the spine adjusted; it’s a place to get a wide variety of alternative medicine treatments.
Visit Us At Flex Chiropractic!
Flex Chiropractic can be found in both Columbia and Lexington, offering you a wide variety of treatments that can help you feel better. Whether you’re in need of traditional subluxation or a more specialized treatment like decompression, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, cryotherapy, or cold laser therapy (or a combination of any of them), we can provide you with the best in alternative therapy. We look forward to hearing from you!
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