The Best Benefits of Seeing a Chiropractor

Published by Dr. C.J. DeFabio, D.C. | April 10, 2023

Chiropractic care is a branch of healthcare that uses spinal and extremity manipulation to help alleviate pain and improve overall function. For many people, chiropractic care has been found to effectively reduce pain, improve flexibility, and promote positive long-term health. Learn more about the best benefits of seeing a chiropractor and why you should book regular appointments.

Is Going to the Chiropractor Good for You?

Answer: Yes, chiropractic treatment can be beneficial to many people. It helps alleviate neck, back, and joint pain while improving your Range of Motion, Flexibility, and Mobility. In addition, regular chiropractic care can help improve posture, reduce stress, and boost your overall well-being.  Keep on reading to discover why.

What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic uses spinal manipulation and other treatments to diagnose and treat musculoskeletal conditions, including back pain, neck pain, headaches, joint pain, and more. The goal of chiropractic treatment is to restore proper function to the body by correcting misalignments in the spine and improving joint and muscle health. In addition, by restoring structural balance and enhancing mobility, chiropractors can help relieve pain and improve posture and general well-being.

What Do Chiropractors Treat?

Chiropractors are trained to diagnose and treat conditions, including neck pain, back pain, headaches, joint pain, sciatica, sports injuries, pregnancy-related pain, TMJ, shoulder pain, knee pain, elbow pain, and injuries from accidents. By using various forms of spinal or joint manipulation mobilization and other physical medicine treatments like Radial Shockwave Therapy, Physical Therapy, Dry Needling, and Massage, Chiropractors help restore proper function to the body. Additionally, chiropractic treatments help maintain overall health and wellness and prevent future issues.

Chiropractic Care can Provide Many Health Benefits
Even if You Aren’t Currently Experiencing Pain

High Patient Satisfaction

One of the most impressive benefits is that most patients who see a chiropractor are happy that they did so and report beneficial results regardless of the reason for care. For example, studies show that patients experiencing chronic back pain who received chiropractic treatment reported more significant improvements in pain, disability, physical functioning, and satisfaction than those treated by medical doctors with medications or surgeries. Chiropractic care has higher patient satisfaction rates than most other healthcare treatments.  Read more about patient satisfaction with chiropractic treatments.

Improved Sleep Quality

Regular chiropractic treatments can reduce pain and stiffness typically associated with trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. In addition, chiropractic care can also help with relaxation and serotonin production that promotes a better night’s sleep – allowing patients to drift off more quickly and achieve a restful sleeping pattern without being interrupted by aches or pains. This facilitates better feelings of well-being overall and lessens feelings of exhaustion and physical stress.  Find your best sleep position here.

Reduced Stress

Chiropractic care has many advantages, including reduced stress levels. Regular chiropractic care can help reduce muscle tension caused by chronic stress, allowing for more relaxation. Additionally, chiropractic treatment plans at Ravenswood Chiropractic in Chicago may include a deep tissue massage that helps alleviate pain and stiffness while relieving stress. Finally, by receiving regular chiropractic adjustments from an experienced practitioner, you may experience reduced stress levels.  Read more about our tips to reduce stress.

Improved Mood

Chiropractic care may also be beneficial for mental health. We are all in a better mood when we aren’t in pain, can move, and do the activities we want. Still, beyond that, regular chiropractic treatments have been discovered to promote increased serotonin production. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that reduces depression and helps generate feelings of relaxation and well-being. This helps regulate emotions and contributes to an overall positive mood!  Read more about the positive effects of improved posture on your mood.

Improves Balance

Regular chiropractic adjustments can help improve balance and coordination by using gentle manipulations to align the body’s joints. These techniques may also be combined with massage or other soft tissue therapies to loosen tight muscles, strengthen weak areas, and promote greater flexibility. Improved balance can reduce the risk of falls and other injuries, making improved coordination one of the top benefits of seeing a chiropractor.  Learn more about improving your balance.

Improved Posture

Chiropractic care focuses on the spine’s alignment and improves spinal joint movement. It also helps strengthen weak postural muscles while relaxing tight ones. Together, this helps to improve posture and reduce pain caused by poor posture or injury. In addition, spinal adjustments are designed to restore the proper motion and function of the spinal column. As a result, when your spine can move and your spinal muscles are healthy, you can maintain good posture, which can help prevent future pain or injuries.  Learn about our posture tips here.

Improved Mobility

As with better posture, regular chiropractic care can help keep more than just your spinal joints flexible. We treat shoulders, knees, elbows, and other joints as well. This means that activities from sports to yard work and even desk work will be more comfortable and result in less pain because your joints can function correctly.

Increased Energy Levels

Regular chiropractic care addresses muscle tension. A buildup of physical or emotional stress can result in trigger points and other painful conditions which use up your body’s energy throughout the day. This energy depletion can lead to a lack of energy. Physical activity can become much easier after a treatment session when your body has more power.   Learn how we can help reduce trigger points and adhesion’s caused by stress.

Improved Blood Pressure Regulation

Specific chiropractic adjustments have been shown to help reduce hypertensive symptoms. In addition, a study published in the Human Journal of Hypertension showed that chiropractic treatment was as effective in controlling blood pressure levels as certain medications. This suggests that chiropractic care could contribute to blood pressure treatments.

Improved Athletic Performance

Many athletes turn to chiropractic care to maintain peak sports performance. Chiropractic treatments can help alleviate soft tissue injuries and joint dysfunction, providing athletes with better flexibility, balance, and mobility. At Ravenswood Chiropractic in Chicago, we incorporate Radial Shockwave Therapy and Class IV Laser into our chiropractic treatment plans when necessary to help our athletes heal and get back to their game safely.

Chiropractic Care Has Many Benefits For Our Patients Living With Chronic Pain or Injuries

Pain Relief Without Medication

One of the most well-known benefits of seeing a chiropractor is the relief from pain without resorting to pain medications or surgeries. Chiropractors employ holistic treatment methods, often providing more natural and sustainable comfort from chronic and acute back pain. Whether caused by an injury, repetitive strain, posture, or degenerative disease, chiropractic care can help manage your discomfort and improve your quality of life. Chiropractic care can also help improve your overall health and wellness. Regular adjustments can help improve joint mobility, reduce inflammation, and increase the range of motion. As discussed above, this can lead to improved posture, better balance, stress reduction, and increased energy levels. 

Reduces Headaches

Chiropractic care is an effective treatment for tension headaches and even migraines. Spinal adjustments and other therapies can help reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches while simultaneously addressing the underlying causes. Regular chiropractic visits may also help prevent future bouts of headaches or migraines.

Improved Joint Health

Regular chiropractic adjustments can be beneficial for anybody experiencing joint pain. Our skilled chiropractors will use gentle pressure to manipulate the joints to improve the range of motion and reduce stiffness. Additionally, spinal adjustments can help improve the alignment of the vertebrae in your spine to promote better posture and overall musculoskeletal health.

More Comfortable Pregnancy

Seeing a chiropractor during pregnancy can help expectant mothers avoid everyday aches, pains, and discomforts usually associated with pregnancy. In addition, chiropractic care can improve the mother’s posture, reducing discomfort in the spine and hips and promoting comfort throughout her pregnancy and delivery! At Ravenswood Chiropractic in Chicago, our Chiropractic Physicians are Prenatal Chiropractors certified in Webster Technique.

Better Asthma Control

Are you looking for symptom relief from mild asthma? Then, consider Chiropractic care as part of your treatment plan. Studies have found that vertebral misalignments can disrupt the nerve impulses required for proper lung operation. Getting your spine realigned with Chiropractic care can correct this disruption, which may result in improved breathing and reduced asthmatic symptoms.

Vertigo

Chiropractic care is a drug-free, non-invasive treatment for various physical ailments. For example, it can significantly relieve dizziness and vertigo from a head or neck injury. In addition, manipulation of the spine and joints stimulates the body’s innate healing and can effectively restore balance and harmony in the nervous system. This reduces symptoms such as nausea and disorientation, allowing patients to return to everyday tasks.

How Often Should Your Chiropractor Adjust You?

Answer: This depends on the individual and their condition. Generally speaking, it is recommended that you visit your chiropractor for an initial consultation and evaluation. From there, your chiropractor can recommend a care plan for follow-up visits based on your needs and goals. Depending on the condition and severity of your condition, this could mean anything from a few times a week to once every two months.

Is it Better to Get a Massage or See a Chiropractor?

Answer: Choosing which modality to use depends on your needs and preferences. If you aim to stop the pain and restore and heal your body, you can often benefit from both in a customized treatment plan. Massage therapy can relax and help with stress, while chiropractic care may be more appropriate for resolving musculoskeletal issues. Ultimately the best option is to consult with your chiropractor to decide which approach might be best for you; many chiropractic offices like Ravenswood Chiropractic in Chicago use massage therapy as part of their treatment plans for a holistic patient-centered approach to care. Massage is likely the best choice if you want to relax and relieve muscle tension. On the other hand, seeing a chiropractor may be the better option if you’re looking to address more severe injuries or chronic pain.

How Long Does an Adjustment Last?

Answer: The effects of chiropractic adjustments can last anywhere from a few hours to several weeks or months. However, it also depends on the injury or condition being treated and your response to the adjustment. However, regular appointments with your chiropractor are recommended for optimal results regarding long-term pain relief. 

Are You Ready To Discover What Chiropractic Care Care Can Do For You?

We offer free consultations with any of our practitioners, including our chiropractic physicians, so that you can come in and meet us and ask us more specific questions about how chiropractic care may benefit you. You can schedule a free chiropractic consultation here or call or text us at 773.878.7330. We look forward to hearing from you.