Chiropractic care gets the joints moving through further range of motion and therapeutic exercise. The goal of chiropractic care is to achieve less pain and to exercise muscles that attach to the bone. These muscles make up the joints and will support a strong structural connection, according to Dr. TJ Abrams of Thrive Spine & Sport Rehabilitation in Belmar, NJ.

Back pain—specifically in the lower back—is one of the most common reasons people start chiropractic care. This form of physical therapy is an investment in health, wellness, and a pain-free life—especially for those with chronic back pain.

The Benefits of Chiropractic Therapy for Back Pain

There are many benefits when choosing chiropractic therapy to combat chronic back pain. First and foremost, working with a chiropractor to heal back pain means that patients get multiple sessions with a chiropractor who is listening to issues and responding to pain with science-based chiropractic care techniques along with experience-based sports-rehab methods.

Chiropractic care will strengthen the muscles around the area of pain. When it comes to back pain, chiropractors will help patients exercise muscles which attach to the spine. When working on healing back pain with a chiropractor, patients will notice an improved structural connection within their back. This therapy will stimulate the nervous system to increase range of motion, decrease back pain, and build a stronger back.

Therapeutic stretching and strengthening create benefits for patients who have implemented chiropractic care as part of a physical therapy plan for healing back pain. Chiropractors teach therapeutic stretching techniques to loosen back muscles, strengthen the back, and decrease back pain and stiffness.

"We get patients back to doing what they love," summarized Dr. TJ Abrams, Thrive’s chiropractor in Belmar. This is the main benefit of working with a chiropractor to cure chronic back pain.

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Abrams is the professional chiropractor at Thrive’s Belmar location. He’s a young doctor who has experience working as a personal trainer and has a background in strength and conditioning techniques. Abrams offers a customized wellness approach for chiropractic patients through these areas of expertise.

Quick Case Study: Belmar Patients Receive Chiropractic Care for Back Pain

Abrams shared recent experiences where he helped heal chronic back pain and bring about positive change for patients through chiropractic therapy sessions.

"The goal is to get patients back to activities of their daily life," shared Abrams, who recently worked with an adult who is a lifetime runner.

"If a runner can’t run more than a quarter mile without bad back pain, our first goal is to get them there."

Thrive’s custom approach to chiropractic care will create measurable achievements for patients with back pain. In a similar scenario, Abrams worked with a climber and hiker suffering from back pain to get him doing what he loves again.

While making consistent efforts during therapy, "We encourage people not to feel their injury is who they are," explained Abrams about the process of healing back pain with chiro care.

"Patients think they can’t do anything," said Abrams, noting that getting back to incremental physical movement is also part of the chiropractic therapy process.

"In medicine, doctors do not always do a good job navigating patients who have [back] pain and think they’re doomed for life," said Abrams. "People think they can never play with their children, never squat… But they should understand, you will get back there."

Chiropractic Care Services to Employ for Back Pain

Chiropractors like Abrams have many tools in their toolbelt to cure back pain. Possible services to employ for back pain include:

  • Chiropractic adjustments
  • Chiropractic manipulation therapy
  • Soft tissue work
  • Muscle stretching
  • Graston technique or muscle scraping
  • Decompression table

Possible Side-Effects of Chiropractic Care for Back Pain

Snap, crackle, and pop! That's what many people think about chiropractic care. When undergoing adjustments by chiropractors (and with any form of physical therapy or training) there is a possibility of injury. When seeing a chiropractor to heal back pain, there are a few things to keep in mind…

Adjustments can cause pain. Obviously, the goal is to alleviate back pain. So, any acute pain during treatment should never be worse than the chronic back pain which brought on chiro therapy.

Patients must be 100% honest with the chiropractor to ensure there is no re-injury or worsened injury during adjustments. Communicate clearly if you feel discomfort or hesitation.

Muscle soreness is common among chiropractic patients—this is normal. However, this soreness should never turn into chronic pain worse than what brought you in.

Dizziness, faintness, and drowsiness are also possible side-effects. Eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of water before therapy. After therapy, move slowly and stretch to alleviate these effects.

Expect that chronic back pain cannot be solved in one session. While it can happen—the goal is to develop a relationship with your chiropractor through multiple sessions, healing little by little in a natural, organic way.

Living with Chronic Back Pain

Some individuals choose to live with back pain rather than seek chiropractic care. In other cases, individuals opt for surgery or pain-numbing pharmaceutical drugs instead of undergoing chiro treatments. While chiropractic care has side-effects, the side-effects of living in pain, undergoing surgery, or taking drugs are much worse!

"The alternative to chiropractic is surgery," said Abrams. "...because people tried physical therapy or acupuncture and it hasn't worked well enough. But [chiropractors] affect the musculoskeletal system and nervous system through adjustments. This process sends a reflex to and from the spinal cord back to the joint. It calms down pain along with the surrounding tissue too."

Some people avoid chiropractors for fear of manual adjustments.

"Chiropractic is strengthening," continued Abrams. "It's not just the snap, crackle, pop… It may take longer than getting cut open and doing rehab after surgery. However, I argue that the outcome is the same—if not better. Plus, you're not getting anesthesia, and there's no surgery recovery."

If adjustments are recommended to heal the root cause of pain, this does not have to start on day one. Patients and chiropractors can work up to the snap, crackle, and pop.

Chiropractors provide education about ways to move the body that alleviate pain and stiffness. Ask for personal stretching and exercise techniques before trying manual adjustments if you’re concerned about side-effects.

"Adjustment is one tool in the toolbox for a chiropractor," said Abrams. "While that is the main tool—for a carpenter it’s the hammer and nail—there are tons of different techniques which don’t involve snap, crackle, and pop."

Abrams explains Thrive’s chiropractic adjustment services: "When we put force through the joint, we push the joint to its end range, and the umph sends a reflex to the spinal cord and back to the joint. This helps the joint and surrounding tissues relax. So, Grade Five is the snap, crackle, pop, and Grade Four involves little thrusts into the joint which causes cavitation. Despite what everyone thinks, it is quite safe. The pros outweigh the cons drastically…"

FAQs

Who should go to the chiropractor?

Anyone with pain that lasts should see a chiropractor. Potential candidates suffer from chronic pain—pain that has persisted two or three times a day for four to six months or more. Anyone seeing a physical therapist or acupuncturist may also benefit. If chronic pain holds you back from doing what you love, a chiropractor can help.

Who should not go to the chiropractor?

Anyone with new or acute pain (pain lasting one to two weeks) should not immediately see a chiropractor. If you can still play sports or do daily activities without pain, you may not need chiropractic care. Individuals with broken bones or non–musculoskeletal injuries should avoid it.

Do chiropractors help with back pain?

Chiropractors help cure back pain incrementally through multiple sessions, providing education and manual assistance to move the body in ways that alleviate pain and stiffness.

What are the disadvantages of chiropractic therapy for back pain?

Possible disadvantages include muscle soreness, discomfort, acute pain during sessions, dizziness, and drowsiness. There is also always a chance of re-injury during adjustments.

Massage or chiropractor for back pain?

Both massage and chiropractic care are important when healing back pain. Additionally, acupuncture and physical therapy should be part of a holistic wellness plan.

How long does it take to feel the effects of chiropractic care for back pain?

Every person and every case of chronic pain is different. Usually, one session will not cure chronic back pain. Chiropractors often see patients 1–2 times per week for six weeks or more. For lower back pain, they’ll create a custom plan outlining how many sessions are necessary to achieve your goals, according to Thrive Spine & Sports Rehabilitation in NJ.