A Look at Decompression Manipulation Therapy

Have you ever heard of decompression manipulation therapy? If you have ever visited a chiropractor than you may have and if you have not then it might be an alternative therapy that is unfamiliar to you.

What is it all about and can it help what ails you?

Decompression manipulation therapy is a kind of spinal manipulation that is gentle as well as safe. It does not necessitate drugs of any kind or any form of surgery. It is a therapy used by chiropractors that takes place on a decompression adjustment table. It has been shown to be a safe alternative to having surgery performed on the back for 95 percent of people who suffer from back pain, leg pain or both.

Also known as spinal decompression treatment, this natural therapy method is useful for those who suffer from a pinched nerve or nerves and/or pain in the lower back. This chiropractic treatment is capable of restoring normal motions to the spinal joints. It is also able to improve posture and bodily movements which can help to minimize pain and discomfort. It helps to relieve tension on the spinal nerves and discs by increasing the height of the discs. It also improves the circulation of blood to the discs and joints of the back, thereby improving the flow to the nerves.

Conditions it Helps:

There are certain health conditions that can benefit tremendously from this therapy. If you suffer from any of these conditions you may wish to seek out the decompression method of treatment. These conditions include but are not limited to:

• Herniated discs
• Stenosis
• Sciatica
• Leg pain
• Failed back surgical syndromes
• Inflammation of a nerve

A person interested in being treated as a patient with decompression therapy must first be examined by the chiropractor and a medical history must be taken. A diagnosis must be made and then a course of treatment can be embarked upon. It is important to note however that this therapy will not help every back related condition.

How it Works:

If a person is accepted as a patient for this alternative treatment method they will be instructed to lie face down on the decompression adjustment table. A short wave diathermy unit will then supply heat to the patient’s back. This is used instead of a hot pack because it penetrates much deeper.

The table is able to move in any number of directions. This aids the chiropractor in doing his or her work. The physician will carefully control all of the compression movements and will ensure that movements are administered to the patient in a manner that is slow, mild and as comfortable as possible.

The next stage of the treatment is for inferential electrical current therapy to be applied to the lower back region. This is used for many types of sports injuries and rehabilitative efforts. It is very beneficial for the healing of tissues, nerve repair and circulation.

A decompression manipulation treatment generally takes between 35 to 40 minutes to complete. Following the treatment, the chiropractor will recommend an exercise and strength program for the patient to do at home.

Clinical research has shown that it takes an estimated 12 decompression treatments for the maximum results of the therapy to be seen and felt. It may take up to 30 days before the patient begins to feel better. For those suffering from a torn disc it can take as many as three months for it to completely heal. The chiropractor will be able to let you know how long he or she thinks it will take to show success.

Samantha

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Are Alternative Treatments Suitable For You?

Alternative treatments of therapy have been around for many centuries and have developed through the health and medical knowledge of the practitioners.

Many of the popular alternative treatments have shown success and brought healing to those who have undergone them. There are those – both past and present – who would not want to be without alternative treatments to help them live healthy and productive lives! These treatments can be suitable for practically everyone if they give them a chance.

At present many of these alternative treatment methods have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In some cases not enough research has been done to provide conclusive results of the validity of these alternative therapies.

Alternative medicine and alternative methods of healing are not meant as a substitute for Western medicine and treatment methods but rather as a complement to them. The medical and science community has been slow to embrace alternative treatments but inroads are being made which are promising. Everyone must decide for themselves whether they wish to go down the alternative road or stay within the realm of traditional medicine, or a bit of both.

The fact that the medical community has not made up its mind about alternative treatments does not mean that these treatments are not capable of preventing sickness or offering healing for health conditions. What every person needs to do is to take responsibility for their own health and their own bodies and to be proactive.

Research the options available to you in the alternative health world as well as the options in the world of conventional medicine and then from there choose the treatments that are most fitting for your condition. In some cases more than one treatment therapy may be combined to get you back on the road to healing and improved health.

The more you know about alternative therapies the easier it will be for you to compare them to traditional Western therapies. Once you have gathered enough information then you can discuss your options with your healthcare practitioner, a specialist you are seeing or an alternative health practitioner. Some medical doctors are more open to the possibilities that alternative and natural healing methods hold for healing than are others.

It is important to know that alternative therapies are not just focused on treating the symptoms of a disease, illness or infection but look at the entire body and seek to bring everything back into proper harmony for optimum health. The emphasis as well is not just on getting you well but keeping you well and this unfortunately is where traditional medicine breaks down as the emphasis is on reactive medicine and no the proactive kind.

Becca

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What is Acupuncture and How Does it Work?

Acupuncture is a type of alternative therapy that got its start in China and has been used for centuries.

As a form of natural healing, acupuncture has been part of the Chinese culture for over 2,000 years. It is finding its way into western society more and more all of the time. While acupuncture is not generally used to replace Western medicine, it can often work as a complement to it.

Acupuncture Restores Balance

The Chinese believe that imbalances in the body are a result of an imbalance of vital energy known as “chi”. This energy is believed to circulate throughout meridians in the body which are invisible energy lines. It is the belief of the Chinese that the body is made up of 12 meridians and each one is connected to different organs. When an imbalance occurs to chi, that is when disease and sickness arises.

In order to restore the balance and harmony of energy back to normal, you can visit a qualified acupuncturist who will insert fine needles into the relevant points along the meridian lines that relate to the problem you are experiencing. There are approximately 1,000 acupuncture points on the human body that can be utilized for this purpose.

The Purpose of Acupuncture

Acupuncture is very strange in the way it is administered but if it does what it was meant to do, does it really make that much difference? The purpose behind it is to restore one’s health to a positive state and to lessen pain and discomfort. In particular, acupuncture has shown a tremendous amount of promise in helping chronic pain sufferers, such as those who suffer from osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. It has also shown promise for cancer patients and for those who suffer with fertility issues.

Theories about How Acupuncture Works

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an estimated $500 million is spent on a yearly basis by people seeking acupuncture treatments to help what ails them. Acupuncture is one of the most well known of all of the natural healing therapies.

How acupuncture works however remains somewhat of a mystery. There have been a variety of theories put forth to explain its success at relieving pain. For example, some researchers theorize that acupuncture manages to stimulate the release of endorphins in the brain which then counteracts pain. Others think along the same lines but believe that neurotransmitters are release during treatments, thus sending nerve impulses to the brain.

Some individuals believe that acupuncture affects the electrical currents in the body which then facilitate healing. Two other common theories are that the insertion of needles along the meridians stimulate circulation or that acupuncture impacts the autonomic nervous system.

Which theory is correct is not known but studies have shown that acupuncture can help to alleviate certain types of pain. Enough said?

Many people are frightened off by the thought of needles because they think that acupuncture is a painful form of therapy. While you may feel a slight sting to your skin when the needle is first inserted, once it is in the discomfort will be no more. In fact most acupuncture patients describe the treatments as being relaxing, peaceful or calming.

If it helps your pain, even if it seems a little unusual, acupuncture is worth a try. Wouldn’t you agree?

Samantha

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