How Anchorage Chiropractic can help Disc Degeneration

Almost everyone needs to visit their Anchorage chiropractor at some point. However, a lot of people aren't entirely sure what is really involved when it comes to chiropractic care, especially for conditions such as disc degeneration. Unfortunately, a lot of individuals end up waiting until they are in extreme pain before they visit a chiropractor in order to get some relief. Sometimes, the need to visit a chiropractor in Anchorage is the result of an accident or injury and at other times, it comes from a chronic condition that is either hereditary or is due to repetitive movements that have occurred over a period of several years. One such condition is degenerative disc disease.

Degenerative Disc Disease Explained

Typically, this type of disease occurs because of one of three reasons. It can either involve the direct mechanics of the spine, thereby causing the spine to become inflamed or it can involve the individual discs as they begin to bulge. In some cases, it involves a condition known as spinal stenosis. All three of these conditions can cause degenerative disc disease and in each case, it is painful and often leads to limited mobility. Fortunately, there are things that can be done through proper chiropractic treatment.

Getting Started

The first thing that your chiropractor will need to do is take a comprehensive medical history. This will help the individual who is working with you better understand exactly what is going on with your body, as well as what could have potentially led up to the cause of the condition in the first place. In other words, it's all about getting to the root of the problem so that the proper solution can be found. Once the medical history is complete, expect to go through some range of motion exercises with your chiropractor in order to determine where pain or limited mobility exist. You will likely also have both your gait and your posture examined by your chiropractor. In most cases, you can expect to have a few x-rays taken and in some cases, you may require an MRI.

Getting the Right Treatment

All of this might seem like a lot, but it all comes down to getting treatment that's effective. The more your chiropractor knows about you and the way your body is working, the easier it is to find treatment that works. There are many different options that are available when it comes to degenerative disc disease. For example, your chiropractor might settle on spinal adjustment. The term means exactly what you probably think it does. Sometimes, your spine can get out of alignment and this puts everything back where it belongs. It can be accomplished through direct manipulation or a technique known as flexion distraction. This one is typically used for people that have spinal stenosis or herniated discs and in most cases, it's a little bit gentler than direct manipulation.

Other Therapy

There are also other therapies involved that can be just as effective. Sometimes, your chiropractor may simply apply direct pressure on areas that are especially sore. The idea is to relieve tension, thereby relieving pain. Other therapies involves things like stretching and massage. Some chiropractors in Anchorage prefer to use a technique known as the graston technique, which utilizes a specially-designed instrument to reduce pain and inflammation. In other offices, you might find that a form of ultrasound is used to reduce inflammation within the body utilizing sound waves. By the same token, electrical stimulation can be used in much the same way. Don't worry, this form of treatment is gentle and uses a very small amount of electrical stimulation.

In conclusion, it all comes down to reducing inflammation. Some people respond very well to treatment, even to the point of regaining lost mobility without needing several additional treatments in the future. Other people respond well as long as they are receiving regular treatments. It all comes down to the way your body responds to the treatment being provided and how much damage has already been done. The one thing you can be certain of is that the longer you wait, the more pain you experience and the less mobility you will have. Therefore, it's imperative that you find a chiropractor that you trust and get started on a treatment that works for you.

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