POSTED: 30/04/2024
Author: Dr. Kirsten Strudwick (Chiropractor)
A chiropractor is an allied healthcare practitioner that offers treatment for a wide range of musculoskeletal problems. They are best known for helping people with lower back pain.
Chiropractors use techniques including chiropractic manipulation and massage to treat and prevent musculoskeletal issues. They frequently offer lifestyle advice as well as ergonomics and movement tips.
In Australia, chiropractors are nationally registered allied health workers who often work with physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and general practitioners to help patients achieve better health outcomes.
In this article, I’ll discuss what chiropractic care is, how it might help you, and what to expect on your first visit as a new patient.
Ok so what is chiropractic care?
Chiropractic care is a form of complementary medicine. It is based on the idea that your body has the ability to heal itself, aided by our hands-on approach to health using the chiropractic adjustment.
We want to help realign your joints, improve your posture, and make you more productive overall. Chiropractic care can help relieve painful conditions that affect your bones, cartilage, connective tissue, joints, and muscles. We call these conditions "musculoskeletal conditions," and chiropractic care has been shown to be generally effective in treating a range of musculoskeletal symptoms.
What are the benefits of chiropractic care?
What are the benefits of chiropractic care, you might be wondering?
Most widely, chiropractors are known for treating lower back pain. If you have muscle tension or pain in your lower back, limited movement, nerve problems, or a stress or strain injury in your lower back, perhaps chiropractic care may be a good option for you.
Furthermore, chiropractic care may be a suitable alternative for neck pain concerns, specifically symptoms related to forward head posture, muscular neck pain, shoulder pain and neck movement restrictions.
Chiropractic care may also be a fantastic choice to address a range of musculoskeletal issues, rather than having patients rely on addictive opioid drugs for pain management.
Traditionally, chronic pain patients would be prescribed opioid medicines to treat the discomfort. However, research shows that opioid painkillers are often inefficient in addressing the underlying source of pain and, disturbingly, are extremely addictive.
You may have heard of the opioid epidemic, in which people become addicted to prescription and over-prescribed drugs, resulting in a variety of problems such as dependency and unintended overdose.
If you’re experiencing muscular pain, in the first instance, it may be a good idea to consult your therapist, such as a chiropractor, to determine if they offer suitable treatment options. A range of manual therapies may be an excellent first choice to handle your musculoskeletal pain symptoms.
Chiropractic care has also been shown to help treat tension headaches and muscular headaches caused by tension in the neck. There is evidence that chiropractic care may help reduce the severity and frequency of headaches and migraines, but the type of treatment, how often it is done, and how long it lasts should all be based on guidelines and experience in the field of clinical results.
A chiropractor may also be able to help with a number of posture issues. When you think about it, your spine keeps you standing straight and moving. If you have bad poses like forward head posture, scoliosis (a curvature of the spine), a humpback, or other related conditions, you may need to see a chiropractor.
In some cases, chiropractic care may be a great way to ease muscle tightness and get your body back into a more natural position, which will help you function better overall.
When it comes to younger bodies, they too can experience musculoskeletal symptoms. Therefore, a good approach may be to consult with a paediatric chiropractor Sydney to see if they can help in your case.
What should a new patient expect on their first visit?
Now that we’ve discussed the ways a Doctor of Chiropractic may be able to help you, what comes next? Let’s discuss what to expect on your first visit to a chiropractic clinic.
Your first step towards getting a personalised chiropractic treatment plan is your new patient appointment. The chiropractor will want to know what's wrong with your body so they can give you the best care advice.
During the first appointment, which usually lasts between 30 and 45 minutes, the doctor will take a full medical history. This may be followed by a full orthopaedic, neurological, and chiropractic check.
Now, if you have any old x-rays, you should show them to the doctor. If not, you may be referred out for x-rays if they are clinically necessary and relevant.
After the chiropractor checks to see if you are a good choice for chiropractic care, you may get your first adjustment.
You will be given a report of findings on your first or second visit. This will include information about how your body reacted to your first adjustment, a full diagnosis and explanation of your condition's cause, as well as treatments to deal with it.
Key points
- Chiropractic care is a form of complementary medicine that aims to realign joints, improve posture, and improve productivity.
- It is based on the idea that the body can heal itself, aided by a hands-on approach to health using the chiropractic adjustment.
- Known for treating lower back pain, neck pain, and musculoskeletal conditions.
- Can ease muscle tightness and get the body back into a more natural position.
Author: Dr Kirsten Strudwick (Chiropractor) is a Doctor of Chiropractic with 15+ years of experience in Marrickville, Sydney, and runs Marrickville Chiropractic Care. Holding a BSc and M.Chiro from Macquarie University, her practice focuses on holistic, patient-centred care. Kirsten has a clinical interest in a range of areas including women’s health, paediatric care, and pregnancy-related treatments.
