By Thrive Spine & Sports Rehabilitation
“Don’t get old,” they say… We’ve heard this from dads, moms, grandparents, uncles, and aunts. For this reason–among many other euphemisms–It’s not always obvious for individuals when they should see a chiropractor… Oftentimes, pain or discomfort is attributed to old age (among other reasons) before it is seen as something that can be fixed!
In the simplest terms, chiropractic care is a treatment facilitated by a professional chiropractor who helps and instructs patients about ways to move their bodies to find pain relief and better functionality.
Oftentimes, other “healthcare” routes like surgery or pharmaceutical drugs are considered before a natural treatment like chiropractic care is chosen. However, chiropractic services can be utilized at any stage in life. Chiropractic care can be preventative, or it can be used to cure neck pain, back pain, as well as other ailments which cause pain, stiffness, and restricted range of motion.
This article will relay the basics of chiropractic care, the benefits a chiropractor can reveal, possible drawbacks to consider, as well as the philosophy behind therapy for Thrive’s professional chiropractors at the Belmar and Freehold, New Jersey spine and sports rehabilitation clinics.
The Basics of Chiropractic Care
At its core, chiropractic physical therapy is a holistic treatment which can eliminate discomfort. The basic gist of chiropractic care is about getting in tune with one’s body, to learn the root cause of pain or stress. Chiropractors help patients to make actionable improvements in physical wellness to keep a healthy body, and ultimately improve quality of life.
A wide range of people can benefit from chiropractic care services. People with spinal pain, neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, and those with other common symptoms can achieve improved physical wellness by seeing a chiropractor.
Plus, stress and pain are not specific to one type of person. Thrive Spine & Sports Rehab in Belmar and Freehold usually caters to athletes in need of sports recovery. However, spinal pain and discomfort can affect individuals of all walks of life; from young children to elderly adults.
So how is chiropractic care performed? It is often utilized for individuals who have not found relief after surgery or other forms of physical therapy. In these cases, chiropractors treat to re-educate a patient’s nervous system to achieve proper posture and biomechanics.
Basically, a chiropractor’s job is to help humans position their bodies in various ways that can relieve pain and bring back optimal functionality. For example, chiropractors implement specialized techniques to realign the spine. In this case, spinal alignments not only relieve pressure on nerves but can also enhance the communication between the brain and the rest of the patient’s body.
Benefits of Chiropractic Care Treatment
Chiropractic treatments for patients are all about creating a connection between the body and mind in order to heal, according to the chiropractors at Thrive. The goal of this healing connection is to relieve pain and restore range of motion to achieve optimal body function, balance, and coordination.
Undergoing a spinal adjustment can have many benefits, according to Thrive’s chiropractors. In the case of spinal adjustments, this treatment can alleviate pain, improve posture, and restore range of motion in the spine.
Other patients find benefits from chiropractic treatments like neck adjustment services. This is a procedure that can reduce neck pain and eliminate pressure. Whether in the neck, or via diversified adjustments anywhere on the body, chiro care can increase nerve conductivity as well as increase blood flow to muscles and joints.
Chiropractic care can also help patients manage pain in other areas of the body, such as the shoulders, knees, and hips. These treatments address misalignments and imbalances. So, chiropractors provide care to help patients restore function and reduce discomfort in these regions.
There are more benefits found when patients opt for chiropractic therapy treatments like soft tissue therapy. In this case, patients receiving care will experience stress relief–eliminating discomfort caused from long days sitting at a desk, intense workout routines, among other common stressors.
Overall, focusing on healing the body via chiropractic care will have neurological function improvements. It’s interesting: People become more awake and alert immediately after working out or focusing on physical health.
On the other end, people will be more tired after staying sedentary all day. So, the same goes when implementing chiropractic care. The benefits of this therapy will span from body to mind… Patients will achieve improved mental health by reducing stress and promoting relaxation when working with chiropractors.
The Chiropractors at Thrive Spine & Sports Rehab
Dr. Vinny Zappalo and Dr. TJ Abrams are the chiropractors at Thrive Spine and Sports Rehabilitation in Belmar, NJ and Freehold, NJ. These two are the professionals who provide patients with a comprehensive, full-body chiropractic plan to relieve pain.
Chiropractic care is one of the main pillars of healthcare provided at Thrive. Additionally, Thrive’s patients have access to physical therapy treatments, acupuncture therapy, and sports recovery lounge perks like the sauna, cold plunge, massage chairs, as well as endless sources of information and education from Thrive’s therapists, chiropractors, doctors, acupuncturists, and patients too.
Chiropractic Care Services Provided:
In order to provide personal physical wellness training and sports recovery for athletes, Thrive’s chiropractors enlist a slew of services which relieve pain and restore functionality for patients.
- Spinal manipulation
- Spinal decompression
- Massage
- Stretching
- Pin and stretch techniques
- Therapeutic exercises
- Resistance training
- Patient education
- Chiropractors like Abrams are also certified personal trainers and can provide education (not always recommendations) about nutritional supplementation options for optimal health
- Tips and tricks for therapeutic exercises, resistance training, strength training, and stretching
- Diversified adjustments
- Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)
- Manual soft tissue therapy
- Graston technique
- Scraping
- Kinesiotaping
Possible Side-Effects of Chiropractic Treatment
The words “adjustment” and “manipulation” are used because they ring true for chiropractors when providing care. Chiropractors are adjusting and manipulating patients’ bodies in order to achieve pain relief. However, these adjustments do come with some risk. For many patients, this risk is worth the reward of pain-free living and increased range of motion.
Patients should never utilize a chiropractor that they do not trust. At first, patients trying out chiropractic care should start “small” or with less manipulation from the doctor. For example, there are ways a chiropractor can educate patients to move their bodies in order to achieve pain-relief and increased range of motion.
Chiropractic physical therapy is not all about cracks, snaps,pops, and adjustments. Patients should ask questions and inquire about minimally intrusive chiropractic care before receiving spinal manipulation or neck adjustments, according to Thrive’s chiropractors who always customize therapy for each individual.
Having said this, patients should be cognizant of muscle soreness. Sometimes this is confused with worsened pain after a chiropractic care session. However, muscle soreness is a normal side-effect of chiropractic therapy. On the other end, pain after a chiro session should never be worse than the pain that brought a patient to the clinic. Patients should seek immediate care if pain truly worsens after chiropractic care.
For sensitive patients, there is risk of dizziness or feeling of faintness immediately after a chiropractic treatment. It’s important to move slowly, drink water, and relax directly after chiropractic care. What’s more, there is a chance patients may feel nausea or a headache–but this is not common.
Finally, there is a chance that chiropractic care can lead to drowsiness. However, this can also be seen as a benefit if the patient was in need of relaxation and/or sleep.
Chiropractic Care vs Living in Pain
So, are the drawbacks of chiropractic therapy worse than the drawbacks of living with pain or injury?
Professional chiropractic treatments are all-natural and holistic options to achieve pain relief and better body function. In contrast, healthcare options exist around surgery and/or pharmaceutical drugs.
Having said that, choosing chiropractic therapy is opting out of dangerous surgeries, pain-numbing drugs, and the respective side-effects which exist. Unlike surgery and use of pharmaceutical drugs, chiropractic care is a treatment option with minimal side-effects.
Plus, chiropractic therapy isn’t life-altering. Individuals can see chiropractors at any stage in their battle with pain, aging, or when range of motion seems to be restricted. Patients can utilize chiropractic services for preventative maintenance, or before diving into life-changing surgery and pain medication(s).
Chiropractic care is also used to heal naturally after surgery or when getting off pharmaceuticals. Chiropractors work with patients to battle common issues like neck pain, back pain, as well as other ailments which cause pain, stiffness, and restricted range of motion. Instead of living with chronic pain, individuals now have the option to work with professional chiropractors who possess a ton of great information about natural healing and physical therapy.
Living in pain, choosing surgery, or numbing pain with drugs will bear unforeseen consequences. Plus, individuals who choose these options will often do less of what they love–whether that is playing a sport, taking care of loved ones, or enjoying favorite hobbies.
What’s more, living and working through an injury makes an individual more accident prone. Even if pain is supported, there is a chance that sudden, unexpected movement could make an injury worse. Instead, individuals can take matters into their own hands with chiropractic treatments that are tailored to their type of pain and comfortability with chiropractic treatment.
Thrive’s Approach to Chiropractic Care for NJ Patients with Pain or Injury
When tailoring chiropractic care to each patient, a custom-approach is implemented, according to Thrive’s professional chiropractors. As with every service, chiropractic patients are offered care with a quality-over-quantity mentality.
“Some places, you go in and get a five-minute adjustment and just walk out,” said AJ Adamczyk, owner of Thrive. “It’s hard to compare to the one-on-one time you get from our chiropractors for 30 minutes or more each session.”
There is no single “right way” to treat every person. So, time is spent to get to know the patient, diagnose the root cause of pain, understand the proper plan for care, and roll that out in an effective treatment regiment.
Patients’ questions are considered and answered with supporting educational resources so the best care possible can be provided. Plus, training and education are readily available to showcase safety, expertise, and effectiveness, according to the chiropractors at Thrive. As a result, trust, communication, and connection is formed regardless of which chiropractic care services are chosen.
Thrive is a family-oriented chiropractic care center. Thrive’s patients are younger kids, athletes, adults, parents, elderly individuals, and everyone in between. Thrive’s skilled chiropractors on the team have the necessary experience to offer neck adjustments and other chiropractic treatments to all patients. In the end, the approach to chiropractic care is based on and dedicated to promoting long standing physical wellness and mental health.
Chiropractic Care FAQ
How much does chiropractic care cost?
While it is hard to put a value on chiropractic care and the one-on-one, custom experience of working with a Thrive chiropractor, the monetary cost ranges from $75 to $150 per session. The out-of-pocket payment will vary based on health insurance coverage, severity of injury, and length of treatment.
Is chiropractic care covered by insurance?
While chiropractic care is an in-depth doctor-to-patient treatment session, chiropractic is not always covered by insurance. For example, Thrive may be considered out-of-network for some managed care plans. However, Thrive’s clinic will take most insurances and will work with major medical organizations. Thrive offers a free health benefit check so that fees are addressed before care has begun.
What does a chiropractor do?
Chiropractors at Thrive’s NJ clinics in Belmar and Freehold will work with individuals to find the root cause of pain, and use natural treatment modalities to offer relief to affected muscles and joints. Chiropractors perform gentle adjustments to intervene at the source of a patient’s pain. Chiropractors are holistic healers for patients looking for a different course than surgery or pharmaceutical drugs. When necessary, the chiropractors at Thrive offer spinal manipulation and decompression to relieve pain for patients and get them back to work, school, sports, playing with family, or doing a hobby they love.
Is it safe to see a chiropractor?
Many individuals have benefitted from utilizing chiropractic care in New Jersey and beyond. However, it is always best to see a reputable and trustworthy chiropractor who can deliver on the advantages of chiropractic care.
Who needs chiropractic care?
Any individual who needs help managing painful conditions like back pain, neck pain, fatigue, low energy levels, joint aches, digestive issues, tingling sensations, numbness, and/or injuries caused by sudden physical stress or trauma can benefit from utilizing chiropractors’ services. Every person is different and a customized approach must be implemented to find the root cause of pain, according to the professionals at Thrive in Belmar and Freehold, New Jersey.
Who does Thrive serve?
Thrive serves patients all across Monmouth County and Ocean County, New Jersey. Thrive Spine and Sports Rehabilitation has clinics in Belmar and Freehold which cater to patients in those towns as well as Manasquan, Wall Township, Pt. Pleasant, Brick Township, Toms River, Avon-by-the-Sea, Bradley Beach, Asbury Park, Ocean Township, Deal, Allenhurst, Loch Arbor, Oakhurst, Eatontown, Long Branch, Shrewsbury, Little Silver, Fair Haven, Rumson, and more!