Spinal manipulative therapy is the primary therapeutic tool that the chiropractor utilizes to restore proper function to the joints of the body, primarily involving the spine, but also the extremity joints. The spine and extremity joints must have proper motion and range of motion in order to function normally. Strong evidence correlates joint immobility with increased joint degeneration and dysfunction, which usually leads to chronic pain.
The primary goal of chiropractic adjustment and manipulation is to restore normal motion to joints that have become stuck or fixated. This will increase the range of motion, reduce nerve pressure and irritation, and improve overall joint health. Dr. Wilson has over 30 years of clinical experience and training and is an expert in the application of various chiropractic manipulative techniques that will work to restore the normal motion to your spine and extremity joints. This will work to reduce your pain, and more importantly, keep your spine and extremity joints healthy as you age.
A chiropractic manipulation or adjustment involves gentle, specific force applied to the vertebra or other joints, resulting in reduced pain sensation, discomfort, and spasm in the surrounding tissues and muscles. Dr Wilson may also use specific spinal flexion distraction decompression, utilizing a special treatment table called a Cox table, that will also restore motion and reduce nerve pressure or spinal cord pressure. The use of this technique is typically applied with intervertebral disc problems or with spinal stenosis.
The clinical effectiveness of spinal manipulative therapy has been studied extensively over the past 10-15 years. It is well established that various types of lower back pain respond very well to chiropractic intervention. In one study, “a systematic review of the literature done the next year concluded that spinal manipulation is a very safe and cost-effective option to treat lumbar disc herniation”.
In regard to the growing opioid epidemic gripping our nation today, consider- “There is a growing body of research that validates the effectiveness of chiropractic services, leading many respected health care organizations to recommend chiropractic and its drug-free approach to pain relief.
In 2017, the American College of Physicians (ACP) updated its guidelines for the treatment of acute and chronic low back pain to recommend first using non-invasive, non-drug treatments before resorting to drug therapies. ACP’s guidelines, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and based on a review of randomized controlled trials and observational studies, cite heat therapy, massage, acupuncture and spinal manipulation (a centerpiece of chiropractic care) as possible options for non-invasive, non-drug therapies for low back pain. Only when such treatments provide little or no relief, the guidelines state, should patients move on to medicines such as ibuprofen or muscle relaxants, which research indicates have limited pain-relief effects. According to the guidelines, prescription opioids should be a last resort for those suffering from low back pain, as the risk of addiction and overdose may outweigh the benefits”
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