Last updated 3 months ago
Many people seek lasting help for their back pain only to receive temporary relief from its symptoms. This video demonstrates how a chiropractor can identify the root cause of a patient’s back pain to provide permanent treatment.
The goal of chiropractic care is to address the source of pain. To so do, a chiropractor administers a wide range of diagnostic tests to isolate the factors contributing to an individual’s discomfort. He may also inquire into a patient’s past medical history and current lifestyle habits. Once the reasons behind a person’s pain are identified, a chiropractor can offer the correct treatment.
Let Peterson Chiropractic free you from your ongoing back pain. To schedule a consultation with a chiropractor at our Manhattan facility, call (646) 291-2681.
Last updated 3 months ago
Happy Valentine's Day from Peterson Chiropractic!
Last updated 3 months ago
If you would like to know more about the healing process of muscles and why medication is an inadequate method of treating back pain, visit the following resources. Peterson Chiropractic can also help answer your questions about musculoskeletal health and effective methods for treating injuries, so call (646) 291-2681 to schedule an appointment.
To learn about the various ways in which back pain can be treated, visit this page from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Visit MedlinePlus to find out which medications are commonly used to manage the pain from a back injury or misalignment.
This ABC News article describes the different degrees of muscle strain and what the healing process entails.
Read this article from the American Judo & Jujitsu Federation to learn about the process muscles undergo when healing from strain.
Massage therapy can help muscles heal more quickly while reducing injury-related pain. You can learn more in this CBC article.
Last updated 3 months ago
A damaged muscle can interfere greatly with daily life, reducing a person’s mobility as well as causing extreme pain. Whether muscle strain occurs due to one specific injury or a pattern of overuse over time, the healing process remains the same:
Regeneration of Cells
In order for the healing process to begin, an injured muscle must have an adequate supply of blood. If the blood vessels near the area have sustained extreme damage, the muscle will be unable to heal quickly and scar tissue may form. Otherwise, certain cells will travel within the muscle to the damaged area, clumping together into groups that align to form tubes. These tubes will eventually become new muscle fibers, although their strength may be less than that of the original muscle.
Formation of Scar Tissue
In a situation where many muscle fibers have been torn, scar tissue will grow to bridge the gap. This tissue is inflexible, serving to prevent additional injury by keeping the muscle contracted. Unfortunately, this phenomenon can last much longer than necessary, leading to chronic pain, decreased mobility, and injury to the opposing muscles.
Elongation and Alignment of Muscle Fibers
In order for an injured muscle to completely heal, it must be gently worked to encourage the newly formed fibers to run parallel to one another, rather than at various angles, and to lengthen any scar tissue that has developed so that full range of motion may be restored. Massage therapy is therefore highly beneficial for injured muscles, as it works them passively while reducing pain.
Peterson Chiropractic is devoted to helping you heal from muscular injury or back pain through massage therapy and chiropractic manipulations. With two convenient locations in NYC, we make it easy for you to receive the treatment you need. Call (646) 291-2681 today to schedule an appointment, or visit us on the Web to peruse our services.
Last updated 3 months ago
When you experience unrelenting back pain, you may be tempted to take a pain reliever and wait for the problem to resolve itself, but this is rarely an adequate course of action. Seeking the opinion of a chiropractor can help you find relief more quickly, and enables you to avoid the following pitfalls of painkilling medication:
Failure to Address the Source of the Problem
Many patients who are prescribed a regimen of pain-relieving medication assume that the issue is resolved when the pain is no longer as severe, but this is a dangerous belief. Medication to manage pain does not treat the injury or condition that triggered the pain, which means that once a patient stops taking the medication, the issue will return.
Consequences Related to Long-Term Medication Use
Because pain medication does not treat back conditions, it must therefore be used indefinitely to stave off the pain. Unfortunately, both over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs have side effects, particularly with long-term usage. Acetaminophen can cause liver damage if not taken as directed, while NSAIDs can damage the lining of the stomach as well as the kidneys. In addition, prescription narcotics may cause drowsiness and create feelings of dependency.
Masking Painful Motions and Enabling Further Injury
If a patient takes painkillers without seeking treatment for the underlying problem, he or she risks unintentionally damaging the area further. Pain is the body’s way of preventing detrimental movement, so a person who has taken medication to conceal pain may perform activity that is more strenuous than advisable. He or she may also unknowingly damage other areas of the back by overworking them to compensate for weakness or stiffness in the injured area.
If you are suffering from chronic back pain or have experienced an injury, contact Peterson Chiropractic of NYC. We can help you find relief through gentle stretches, spinal realignment, and massage therapy. To learn more about our treatments, call (646) 291-2681.
