What is Chiropractic Care, Littleton Colorado

What is Chiropractic Care Littleton Colorado?

Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Chiropractic care is used most often to treat neuromusculoskeletal complaints, including but not limited to back pain, neck pain, pain in the joints of the arms or legs, and headaches.

Doctors of Chiropractic – often referred to as chiropractors or chiropractic physicians – practice a drug-free, hands-on approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. Chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling.

The most common therapeutic procedure performed by doctors of chiropractic is known as “spinal manipulation,” also called “chiropractic adjustment.” The purpose of manipulation is to restore joint mobility by manually applying a controlled force into joints that have become hypomobile – or restricted in their movement – as a result of a tissue injury. Tissue injury can be caused by a single traumatic event, such as improper lifting of a heavy object, or through repetitive stresses, such as sitting in an awkward position with poor spinal posture for an extended period of time. In either case, injured tissues undergo physical and chemical changes that can cause inflammation, pain, and diminished function for the sufferer. Manipulation, or adjustment of the affected joint and tissues, restores mobility, thereby alleviating pain and muscle tightness, and allowing tissues to heal.

Chiropractic adjustment rarely causes discomfort. However, patients may sometimes experience mild soreness or aching following treatment (as with some forms of exercise) that usually resolves within 12 to 48 hours.

In many cases, such as lower back pain, chiropractic care may be the primary method of treatment. When other medical conditions exist, chiropractic care may complement or support medical treatment by relieving the musculoskeletal aspects associated with the condition. 

Doctors of chiropractic may assess patients through clinical examination, laboratory testing, diagnostic imaging and other diagnostic interventions to determine when chiropractic treatment is appropriate or when it is not appropriate. Chiropractors will readily refer patients to the appropriate health care provider when chiropractic care is not suitable for the patient’s condition, or the condition warrants co-management in conjunction with other members of the health care team.

© 2015 Copyright American Chiropractic Association

No matter how they strive to keep themselves in shape, to keep bodies in tune, and to maintain their athleticism, there inevitably comes a time when, due to injury, stress, or a combination of both, athletes, both professional and amateur, find themselves in need of assistance. This assistance often comes in the form of sports chiropractic, the purpose of which is to provide management, rehabilitation, and the optimization of performance of the neuromusculoskeletal system for the athletically inclined.

Chiropractic care in littleton colorado, is an alternative form of non-invasive medicine, which may entail a variety of different techniques. Chiropractic practitioners believe the health of the entire body is directly related to the health of the spine, and its relationship to the body through the nervous system. To maintain this healthy balance, many techniques are employed. Chiropractic is well-established in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It overlaps with many other manual-therapy professions, including osteopathy, physical therapy, and massage therapy, providing relief for many sufferers of tissue, muscular, and skeletal injuries.

Spinal manipulation, or spinal adjustment, is a system of where the hands of the chiropractor are used to massage, adjust, manipulate, stimulate, apply traction, or in any way possible, influence the spine and its related tissues. This technique is the most commonly used tool on chiropractic.

In addition, a sports chiropractor may advise the patient on lifestyle choices, enabling the patient to lead a healthier life enjoying activities which nourish the spirit as well as enhance the body. They may also offer nutritional counseling, help the patient maintain a condition of optimal health.

Damage to the health of the neuromusculoskeletal system may occur in many ways, not just through injury. Muscles and tissues may be put out of place, and injured and strained due to poor alignment and misuse. A series of exercises, either supervised in a chiropractic facility, or done in the privacy of your own home, may be prescribed to target a specific weakness, or injury.

Sports chiropractic care in littleton Colorado, may involve any number of techniques in treating sports injuries.

Ultrasound - Ultrasound is used as a non-invasive way to visualize the muscles, tendons, and other internal organs in order to detect and diagnose problems.

Electrical muscle stimulation - EMS is used as part of a regimen of physical to prevent muscle atrophy due to disuse caused by injury to the bones, joints, or muscles.