Chiropractic Care for Muscle Pain

Chiropractic treatments are an excellent option for muscle pain. They are non-invasive and do not involve medication. Many chiropractic patients can reduce or eliminate their need for pain medications. Chiropractic care is beneficial for preventing future injuries and ongoing pain.

Some of the most common causes of muscle pain include:

Strains & Sprains: Sprains occur when you stretch or tear a ligament. Ligaments connect two bones in your joints. Most sprains affect the ankles, but you can sprain any ligament. Strains are similar to sprains but affect the muscle tissue or band of tissue that attaches bone to muscle.

The best way to heal a sprain is to rest it while applying ice and compression. If possible, keep the injured area elevated. Most mild sprains require no medical attention, but chiropractic care can speed up healing. It can also help you avoid surgery for serious sprains.

Pulled Muscles: Muscle pulls are a type of strain. They involve tendons, the connective tissue bands attaching muscles to bones. Pulled muscles are common injuries. They usually aren’t serious but can be painful and impede movement.

Torn Muscles: Muscle tears occur when the muscle or the tendons attached to the muscle are damaged. They often occur when someone is playing sports but can occur during everyday activities. This is especially true for people who overuse their muscles or lift heavy objects.

Muscle pain can occur at any time to anyone. It can be caused by everyday movements or as a result of injuries related to sports. 

Chiropractic Techniques that Alleviate Muscle Pain & Promote Healing

Spinal Manipulation

Chiropractors use manipulation to apply sudden, controlled pressure to a spinal joint. They do this with their hands or a tool. Spinal manipulation improves motion and the body’s physical function. Manipulation makes small improvements in the spine's health, which significantly improves back pain. It has few risks and can boost overall health, in addition to helping with back pain.

Soft Tissue Mobilization

Soft tissue mobilization (STM) is a hands-on treatment performed by a chiropractor. It’s also used in physical therapy (PT) sessions. It’s performed with the hands or a small tool to reduce pain and improve the range of motion.

Therapeutic Exercises

Therapeutic exercises are used to correct and restore neuromusculoskeletal function. It helps with the following: 

• Mobility
• Flexibility
• Strength
• Endurance
• Balance
• Coordination

This is one of the most effective tools for improving function and restoring health, especially for those with long-term, chronic pain and other conditions. It also helps prevent future recurrences of muscle injury.

Therapeutic Massage

Chiropractic massage combines massages with chiropractic adjustment, enhancing pain relief and overall health. It promotes relaxation, which makes it easier to deal with back pain. This type of chiropractic treatment also promotes the body’s natural healing ability and aids in toxin release. Massage therapy might not be suitable for muscle pain relief in acute back pain or injuries.

Ultrasound

Chiropractic ultrasound treatment or ultrasound therapy eases muscle pain and movement dysfunction. The tool uses sound waves to deliver deep heat. The benefits of ultrasound include:

• Decreased stiffness
• Decreased swelling
• Less pain
• Increased circulation
• Promotes pain-free movement

Electrical Stimulation

Electrical stimulation or e-stim mimics the natural signals produced by neurons using electrical pulses. The mild electrical current targets both muscles and nerves.

E-stim forces muscles to contract. Chiropractors target certain muscles for repeated contractions, which improves blood flow and enhances healing. The affected muscles gain strength and are better able to relax. It trains the muscle to respond to the body’s natural signals. E-stim helps relieve pain by blocking pain receptors from moving from the nerves to the brain.

Lifestyle Advice

Chiropractors often give lifestyle advice and tips you can use at home to improve back pain. This includes exercises you can do, improving your diet, and using tools such as heat and ice therapy to ease the pain.

Conclusion

Chiropractic care is beneficial for muscle pain. It improves the body’s natural healing abilities and boosts your overall health. It’s safe, effective, and non-invasive. It’s especially helpful for those who deal with chronic pain and who haven’t found relief in other approaches to pain relief.

It’s important to realize that pain isn’t normal. Even if you’ve dealt with muscle pain for many years and you’ve been told it’s a normal part of aging, chiropractic care can help. 

Dr. Eric Neumann D.C.

Dr. Eric Neumann grew up in Alberta, Canada where he majored in Chemistry at the University of Calgary. During his time at University, he obtained licensure as a Massage Therapist. It was clear that hands-on healing would be his calling. After suffering multiple sport-related injuries he became interested in Chiropractic. Dr. Neumann graduated from Western States Chiropractic College in 2009. He has since specialized in the treatment and management of acute spinal injuries.