How many times do you hear family, friends, and colleagues say something along the lines of, “My back hurts,” “My neck hurts,” or “I must have slept on something wrong” per day? The stats are in, and it turns out nearly all of us suffer from back pain, neck pain, and/or chronic pain conditions. Specifically, 1.5 billion people around the world have symptoms of chronic pain. Approximately 31 million Americans alone suffer from low-back pain, and Americans will spend $50 billion a year attempting to treat back pain and get relief from their symptoms.
While the statistics may seem pretty bleak, your outlook doesn’t have to be. In fact, there are three, simple ways to treat and manage pain symptoms, and sometimes cure it altogether. Here’s what you can do:
Find What Works
Unfortunately, a lot of Americans don’t know the best ways to treat pain. While the average American may pop an Advil or two and finally relent and see a doctor after weeks of consistent pain, over-the-counter pain relievers and doctors aren’t the most effective solutions. Chiropractic treatment is non-surgical, non-invasive, and does not involve the use of prescription drugs, saving patients the trouble of nasty side effects.
What’s more, chiropractic care is safe and more comprehensive than you may think. Chiropractors are highly trained, with an average of 8 years of college education. According to Medical News Today, “[Chiropractors] usually graduate with a pre-med major after having taken courses in sciences, such as biology, chemistry, psychology, and physics.” While back pain is the most popular reason to seek out a chiropractor, chiropractors can also help manage and treat neck pain, shoulder pain, and some musculoskeletal conditions, like fibromyalgia.
Seek Lasting Solutions
The most important thing about treating pain is not to simply “put a band-aid on it.” Prescription drugs treat symptoms, not the underlying cause. For lasting pain relief, a physical therapy program with special physical therapy equipment may help. A physical therapist uses typically light exercises, motions, and stretches to help patients with a wide variety of pain thresholds get lasting results. Between undergraduate and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) programs, physical therapists spend an average of six to seven years learning how to treat patients. Moreover, rehab tools and systems, such as muscle testing machines and range of motion data, keep treatments focused, effective, and precise.
Complement Treatment With Good Nutrition
Whether pain suffers get relief from chiropractic treatment or structured rehab programs with highly trained physical therapists and high quality muscle testing machines, it is wise for patients to increase their likelihood of lasting results and success by complementing treatment with a healthy diet. According to NutritionFacts.org, eating a diet high in fruit and vegetables, especially antioxidant fruits and green vegetables, helps reduce the inflammation that causes back pain, neck pain, and chronic pain conditions.
Don’t live your life with unnecessary pain. Curb pain for good with chiropractic treatments, by working a trusted physical therapist with quality equipment, such as muscle testing machines, and eating a healthy diet to reduce pain-causing inflammation.
