Who is a chiropractor?
A chiropractor is a licensed practitioner who treats patients suffering from injuries or ailments of the neuromusculoskeletal system, which includes your bones, nerves, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. They use gentle force and thrusting to manipulate the spine and realign the displaced joint. Other chiropractic modalities include ultrasound, heat and cold therapy, massage, soft tissue mobilization, therapeutic exercise and stretches, spinal traction, transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS), interferential current, and cold laser.
Rather than just treating the condition, a chiropractor focuses on improving the patient's overall health by recommending lifestyle and diet changes. Chiropractic care can be helpful for conditions like arthritis, frequent headaches, sciatica, scoliosis, and muscle aches.
What is the education and training of chiropractors?
Chiropractors commence their education with a 3–4 year undergraduate program. Following this, they enter a four-year chiropractic graduate program comprising theory courses and clinical internships for hands-on experience. Upon earning their Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree, they undergo state medical licensing exams and obtain certification from the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners.
Some chiropractors also choose a 2- or 3-year residency program to specialize in any of the following areas:
- Radiology
- Rehabilitation
- Clinical Nutrition
- Internal medicine
- Neurology
- Forensics
- Sports medicine
- Acupuncture
- Pediatrics and Pregnancy
What are the most common chiropractic adjustments and their benefits?
Chiropractic adjustments can improve spinal alignment, joint function, and overall mobility. Here are seven common chiropractic techniques, their purposes, and the types of pain they address:
Diversified technique: This widely used technique focuses on restoring spinal alignment and improving mobility through precise hands-on thrusts. It's effective for lower back pain, neck pain, and headaches.
Spinal mobilization (spinal manipulation): Used by chiropractors and physical therapists, this technique relieves joint pressure, reduces inflammation, and enhances nerve function through gentle stretching and thrusts. Chiropractors often recommend spinal manipulation for lower back pain, neck pain, and sciatica.
The Thompson drop-table technique employs a specialized drop-table that provides a comfortable, gentle adjustment resembling a light vibration. It’s particularly effective for lower back, neck, and shoulder pain.
The Gonstead adjustment: Known for precise contact points, the Gonstead Adjustment restores disc alignment and mobility, often for lower back pain, sciatica, and hip pain.
The activator method: A handheld device called an ‘Activator’ administers gentle impulses, adjusting the tone of the nervous system. This method treats headaches and lower back and neck pain.
Flexion-distraction: Utilizing a special table, this technique offers gentle, rhythmic spinal motion, ideal for symptomatic disc injuries, sciatica, and leg pain.
Spinal decompression: While technically not an adjustment, spinal decompression relieves disc-related pain by stretching the spine, improving nutrient flow to discs. It’s effective for lower back pain and sciatica.
What happens during and after a chiropractic adjustment?
During a chiropractic adjustment, you lie face down on a chiropractic table, which elevates parts of your body and allows your chiropractor to apply pressure to those areas. Next, they will use their hand or a small instrument to exert controlled force on a joint. They may also gently stretch your joint beyond its usual range of motion. This way, they fix off-center vertebrae and ensure your spine is aligned. Moving or stretching traps gasses like nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide within your joint. During the treatment, your chiropractor releases these gasses, resulting in cracking or popping sounds and sensations.
After the session, your chiropractor might recommend some homework to extend the benefits of the treatment. It might consist of the following:
- Muscle relaxation
- Heat/icing therapy
- Stress management
- Electrical muscle stimulation
- Gentle stretches and exercises
- Maintaining proper ergonomics to improve your posture
Benefits and risks associated with chiropractic treatment
Chiropractic treatment has several benefits, such as improved joint mobility and overall well-being. Patients often report increased flexibility and relief from musculoskeletal issues. Chiropractic treatment has several benefits, such as:
- Reduces pain
- Enhances your posture
- Improves range of motion
- It helps relieve migraine headaches
- Can treat minor spine or neck injuries
- Reduces symptoms of chronic conditions
Chiropractic adjustment also has certain negative consequences. Most of them are short-term. After a session, you might feel tired, sore, or have a mild headache, which typically subsides within 48 hours. However, in some cases, the side effects might be severe and include:
- A specific type of stroke resulting from a neck manipulation
- A herniated disk or the worsening of existing disk herniation
- Cauda equina syndrome, or the compression of nerves in the lower spinal column
To minimize the chance of health complications, avoid chiropractic treatment if you have:
- Spinal cancer
- Severe osteoporosis
- A high likelihood of stroke
- A bone abnormality in the upper neck
- Tingling, numbness, or loss of strength in a limb
What is scoliosis?
Often diagnosed in adolescents, scoliosis is a condition in which the spine curves sideways. The angle of the curve can vary. However, an X-ray curve showing more than ten degrees is considered scoliosis. While most scoliosis cases are mild, they can worsen with age if not treated correctly.
Parents can take children with mild scoliosis for chiropractic care to prevent the curve from worsening. While exercise and therapy can treat most cases, some might need corrective surgery to straighten severe curvature.
Symptoms of scoliosis
Apart from the visible curve in your back, scoliosis exhibits several other symptoms, such as uneven shoulders, waist, or hips and ribs sticking out further on one side of the body. You might also suffer from back stiffness, pain and numbness in the legs, and fatigue due to muscle strain.
It is advisable to see a chiropractor near you as soon as you start noticing the symptoms. While it is possible to detect scoliosis with the visible symptoms of a curved back, the specialist will recommend an X-ray, spinal radiograph, CT scan, or MRI to confirm.
Types of scoliosis
There are four types of scoliosis, depending on the cause, developmental factors, genetics, and how they affect the spine.
- Idiopathic scoliosis is the most common form that develops without any particular reason. It generally occurs in children around ten years of age and seems to run in families, indicating genetics as a primary factor.
- Congenital scoliosis impacts infants before birth, resulting in a curvature of the spine due to abnormalities in the vertebrae. Problems like incomplete vertebrae or failed division in the vertebrae can cause the condition. Usually, the ailment is detected early in childhood. However, it might go unnoticed for several years, too.
- Neuromuscular scoliosis generally occurs due to other underlying conditions like spina bifida, cerebral palsy, or spinal cord injury. These conditions can prevent the spine from getting the optimum support due to damage to the nearby muscles.
- Degenerative scoliosis is slightly different from other scoliosis conditions as it is more likely to be found in adults. It develops in the disks and joints of the lower back as the spine begins to wear out due to age.
Risk factors of scoliosis
People with certain genetic factors, like Marfan syndrome, Down syndrome, and a family history of scoliosis, are more prone to idiopathic scoliosis. Children with a family history of scoliosis need to see a chiropractor regularly. It tends to surface during growth spurts when the children are 10-15 years old. Scoliosis curves in girls are more likely to worsen compared to boys.
Conditions like cerebral palsy, tumors, congenital disabilities, and infections can also be underlying causes of developing scoliosis.
Treatment of scoliosis
There are various ways of treating scoliosis. One of them is chiropractic care. Chiropractors have in-depth knowledge of musculoskeletal issues and conditions and perform physical examinations to identify scoliosis. Visible symptoms like uneven hips and protruding shoulder blades can also help the chiropractor diagnose the disease.
Chiropractic treatments do not require drugs and are non-invasive. The practitioners treat the condition by decreasing the pressure on the nervous system and strengthening the core. Chiropractors also recommend specific exercises to support the joints, relieve pain, and move and stay active without flaring up the pain.
Complications from scoliosis
While scoliosis is primarily mild, sometimes it might cause complications like:
- Breathing problems: In severe scoliosis, breathing issues can occur as the rib cage presses against the lungs.
- Back problems: People with a history of scoliosis in childhood may be more likely to suffer from chronic back pain as adults.
- Appearance: Suppose scoliosis worsens and is left untreated. In that case, it shows visible signs like prominent ribs, side shifts of the waist and trunk, and uneven hips and shoulders, making the person conscious of their appearance.
Find the best chiropractor near you in Henderson, Nevada
People with scoliosis require regular therapies and consultation to prevent the condition from worsening. However, finding the right chiropractor in Henderson, Nevada, to provide dependable treatments takes time and effort. Even if you find a good specialist, getting an appointment can be difficult.
However, you can easily access the best medical care through Zocdoc. Zocdoc is a safe and secure platform that allows you to book a consultation with the chiropractor of your choice free of cost. Go to the website and search for the condition you are suffering from or the specialty you are looking for, and the site will show you a comprehensive list of healthcare providers who can help you. You can also conduct an area-specific search to locate the chiropractors practicing near your area.
On Zocdoc, each chiropractor has a unique profile, where you can access all the relevant information about them, like their educational qualifications, board certifications, expertise in the specialty, experience, and the languages they speak. The platform also provides verified ratings and reviews from past patients to help you make an informed choice.
Our online patient support center can help you find chiropractors who accept your insurance. You can link your medical, dental, and vision insurance plans to your Zocdoc account, though you can only use one plan per appointment.
For those with multiple insurance plans, you can add your secondary insurance details in the appointment notes. If your provider uses Zocdoc’s Intake forms, you can also enter your secondary insurance information directly in the form.
Booking in-person or online appointments with chiropractors near you on Zocdoc is safe, quick, and 100% free.
Prevalence of chiropractic disorders in the US and Nevada
According to an America's Health Rankings report, around 25.7% of adults in Nevada had some form of arthritis as of 2022. More than half the affected population—about 53.2%—were aged 65+, followed by around 31.6% aged 45–64, and 8.0% were 18–44. When comparing the prevalence among genders, arthritis affected more females (about 28.5%) than males (about 22.8%).
Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, about 2,520 people in Nevada suffered from occupational musculoskeletal injuries and illnesses in 2020. Around 1,420 affected were males, while the rest, nearly 1080, were females. People from the service sector sustained the most musculoskeletal disorders (about 920 cases), followed by workers from the transportation and material moving sector (about 660 cases). Approximately 910 people had back problems, about 370 had shoulder issues, and about 340 had knee problems, making them the most impacted body parts.
Another U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report found that as of May 2023, there were around 210 chiropractors in Nevada. These numbers were relatively low compared to the other US states.
Sources
Cleveland Clinic
WebMD
Mayo Clinic[1]
Mayo Clinic[2]
Chiropractic and Health Sciences, Cleveland University
Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health
Verywell Health
SpineUniverse
Family Chiropractic Plus
America’s Health Rankings
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics[1]
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics[2]
Southwest Spine & Rehab
