Some Common Treatment Options Offered by Chiropractors

I used to be pretty flexible and able to manage most issues, but after I fell down the stairs one day at work I've had a bit of a wonky hip. Even after it was 'cured' I kept having a lot of hip and back pain. Luckily my chiropractor realised that my hip injury had lead to spinal alignment issues and she has been working on my body to get me back in alignment. Now I can sleep a lot better and have much less hip and back pain. This blog has tips for people with hip pain who need chiropractic adjustments.

Some Common Treatment Options Offered by Chiropractors

15 June 2017
 Categories: , Blog


Chiropractors use a range of different treatment methods to alleviate the pain and afflictions of their patients and also to improve the performance of vital body parts and systems, such as the head, back, neck, legs, muscles and joints. The choice of an appropriate treatment technique depends upon patient-specific conditions; therefore, no single technique can be said to be better than the others.

Below is a breakdown of some common therapies offered by trained and experienced chiropractors.

Hot and cold therapy

This type of chiropractic therapy is also referred to as heat and ice therapy because heat and ice is applied to the injured area to relieve pain and inflammation. Heat helps relax stiff muscles so that they can move well again. Ice packs, on the other hand, help minimise soreness and swelling on hot joints. 

The variations in temperature help relieve pain and relax muscles, improving the flexibility of the entire body. Hot and cold therapy will not work when not used properly. For example, ice packs will not help relax stiff muscles and heat will not be helpful when used to reduce swelling on hot joints.

Manual adjusting

This is another common type of chiropractic treatment that can be provided by chiropractors. It involves moving slightly dislocated joints back into proper alignment by manually putting pressure on the joints. A manual adjustment should be carried out by an experienced chiropractor. 

Typically, patients will hear a popping sound when the treatment is being administered, but this should not be a cause for alarm because the sound is due to a small vacuum effect that comes about when the chiropractor stretches a subluxated joint through its complete range of motion.

Ultrasound therapy

Here, a special ultrasound gel is applied to the skin around the area where an injury has been suffered. Thereafter, a metal treatment head that produces ultrasound waves is put in direct contact with the surface of the gel-applied skin. As the ultrasound waves penetrate the skin, they cause the local tissues to pulsate. This pulsation can result in a deep heating, though the patient typically feels no sensation of heat. Ultrasound can lead to many therapeutic effects aside from deep heating. These effects include tissue relaxation, increase in blood flow, and breakdown of scar tissue. 

Before recommending a treatment option for you, your chiropractor will check your medical history and also perform any tests to assess your specific needs. That way, they can suggest the best chiropractic therapy for you.