Work injuries are becoming increasingly more common with each passing day. In the U.S., an employee is injured on the job every 7 seconds. Work-related injuries can force employees to miss work, thereby causing employers to scramble to cover a shift and causing a disruption in an employee’s daily routine.
A work-related injury can cause extremely excruciating, debilitating, and, in many cases, chronic pain. Don’t let chronic pain disrupt how you live your life. Whether injured on the job or during an activity, find a Santa Rosa chiropractor who can help you get back into your daily routine.
What Type of Work-Related Injuries Do Chiropractors Treat?
Back pain is a common work-related health problem and is often caused by ordinary work activities including: lifting, moving items, or lifting heavy objects. Other common problems in office workers include work-related neck issues, connective tissue injuries, tendonitis, nerve damage, herniated discs, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
A chiropractor in Santa Rosa can treat these and other work-related injuries and disorders. Studies show that chiropractic care improves mobility, alleviates pain, and minimizes the need for pain medications.
How Can a Chiropractor Help?
Chiropractors take a holistic approach to well-being. They are focused on diagnosing and treating the root causes of problems, and not only the symptoms. Chiropractors use a variety of techniques to put their patients on the path to recovery while easing them from pain, chronic issues, and other forms of discomfort.
Chiropractic Adjustments
The aim of chiropractic adjustments is to improve spinal mobility, ease pain, and improve the body’s physical function. Chiropractic adjustments are often used to realign the spine and correct joint movement.
Chiropractic care involves applying a short, controlled force to a targeted area. Some chiropractors use their hands to apply pressure, while others use a small, hand-held device as an activator. Spinal adjustments may be an effective treatment for different types of back and neck pain.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapists are trained to manipulate the soft tissues of the body such as the skin, connective tissues, tendons, and ligaments. Therapists usually use hands-on techniques. They may also use their fingers, feet, forearms, knees, elbows, or a device.
The main aim of massage therapy is to relieve pain. Many chiropractors recommend getting a massage before an adjustment as massage therapy helps relax tense muscles which makes chiropractic adjustments more effective. Back injuries may affect the spine and the surrounding soft tissues. Massage therapy can speed up the healing process by helping increase circulation to these areas.
Spinal Decompression
Spinal decompression involves gently stretching the spine. A traction table is usually used to stretch the spine. This takes the pressure off the spinal disks, which helps promote the movement of water, oxygen, and nutrient-rich fluid into the disks, speeding up the healing process. Spinal decompression is used to treat bulging or herniated disks, degenerative disk diseases, sciatica, neck pain, and injured spinal nerve roots.
Ice and Heat Therapy
Ice and heat therapy is one of the most common therapies among chiropractors. Ice is used in situations where it’s important to control the inflammation of the affected tissue in order to prevent the injury from snowballing into a major concern. Ice is also used to control pain immediately after an injury.
Heat therapy focuses on relaxing the affected tissue and moving blood to the area and can also relieve chronic pain. Depending on your condition, your chiropractor may use a combination of ice and heat therapy.
Therapeutic Exercises and Stretches
If you have back, extremity or neck problems, your chiropractor may recommend specific strengthening exercises. Therapeutic exercises are designed to improve stability, flexibility, strength, prevent further muscle deterioration, and promote joint health. People who exercise regularly heal faster than those who don’t.
Therapeutic stretches prevent scar tissues from forming. Maintain a regular stretching routine even after your injury heals in order to keep your tissues flexible, improve your range of motion, and reduce the risk of further injuries.
Your chiropractor won’t ask you to do therapeutic exercises and stretches on your own until you’re comfortable doing them. Your chiropractor will show you how to do therapeutic exercises and stretches.
It’s important never to overdo therapeutic exercises or stretches. Learn to listen to your body. If you feel pain or discomfort while doing stretches, stop doing them and consult your chiropractor immediately.
Many chiropractors provide nutritional advice. If you are grappling with back pain, your chiropractor may ask you to make healthy eating choices and suggest adding veggies, avocados, and dairy products such as cheese, milk, and yogurt to your diet.
Chiropractors use these techniques to restore normal range of motion, fast-track healing, reduce pain and inflammation, and improve their patients’ physical and mental outlook. In addition to treating work-related injuries, a chiropractor can help prevent future injuries.
Are you suffering from a work-related injury in Santa Rosa? Toth Chiropractic can help. Dr. Toth’s life mission is to help people with chronic pain reclaim their lives. To make an appointment with him, call (707) 355-6535.