Chiropractic Treatment in Grayson
Being in pain can make it hard to function, and if you’re in pain daily, you may feel like everything is a struggle. Unfortunately, many people deal with back, neck, or joint pain, and these can become chronic. Over-the-counter pain relievers may work at first but then become ineffective. Your doctor might suggest prescription medications with potential side effects, or in some cases, they could recommend surgery. However, patients often want to avoid medication side effects or having a risky surgery. If this is the case, you may benefit from treatment with a Grayson chiropractor.
Your chiropractor will work to get to the bottom of your pain and other symptoms, asking questions about your medical history and running tests as needed. We may take X-rays, an MRI, a CAT scan, or in some cases, we might do a nerve conduction study. Then the chiropractor will perform a physical exam, checking the afflicted area for misalignments or other issues.
We can help with a wide variety of difficulties, from acute car accident injuries to chronic pain. Many of our patients have back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, or issues with muscles or joints. We offer multiple treatments for the potential root causes of your pain. In some cases, the best approach uses a combination of therapies.
Chiropractic Care
After diagnosing your difficulties, a chiropractor uses their hands to apply a controlled force to a bone or joint, pushing it out of the normal range of motion. Usually, this is done to correct a misalignment of the spine or a joint, relieving pressure and inflammation. Often this leads to a significant reduction in pain.
What Causes Spinal Misalignment?
The spinal cord connects your brain with the rest of the body, and its many nerves carry information to the brain and back. The spine is made up of multiple vertebrae, or bones, and these usually move with you, allowing your body flexibility and range of motion. However, sometimes one or more vertebrae become misaligned for multiple reasons:
- Any impact, whether a car crash or a fall, can pull one or more vertebrae out of alignment. Injuries like these are among the most common reasons people come to see us.
- Strong muscle spasms or cramps can tug the bones of your spine out of alignment.
- Posture issues can also contribute to misalignments. People may struggle with posture when sitting or standing for long periods of time, or even sleep at an uncomfortable angle.
- Repetitive motions. Whether it’s for work or recreation, any motion that you do repeatedly can cause spinal misalignment. This is especially true if your repetitive motion causes you to lean in one direction most of the time. For example, if you sit at a desk or counter at your job, but have to turn frequently to the right to help customers or answer questions, that could put a lot of stress on your spine and pull it in one direction.
- Genetic issues like scoliosis, or curvature of the spine. If the spine is already curved, the vertebrae may be more prone to slide out of alignment.
How Does a Chiropractic Adjustment Help?
The chiropractor moves the vertebrae or the bones of another joint back into the correct alignment. This is usually a very quick process, although it may take slightly longer if you have many misalignments to correct. It is not painful, but occasionally people feel mild soreness or discomfort after the adjustment. This is usually due to improving blood flow or removing pressure on a nerve and does not last long.
Will One Session Be Enough?
In most cases, you will need more than one chiropractor treatment, especially if you’ve been in pain for a long time or your misalignments were caused by repetitive motions or posture issues. Your body and muscles may have grown accustomed to the misalignment, and the bones could easily slip out of alignment again. This is particularly true if you have to continue repetitive motions for your job. By coming back for regular adjustments, you can continue to benefit from a well-adjusted spine.
Does Insurance Cover Chiropractic Care?
Yes, most health insurance policies cover chiropractic care for back, neck, or other musculoskeletal issues. There is often a copay, which varies by policy. However, some insurance policies will not cover some of the additional services we offer, like regenerative medicine. Our office staff is happy to help you verify coverage for the treatment you need.
If you’re seeking chiropractic care due to pain following a car accident, you may be able to get any portion not covered by health insurance paid by the at-fault driver’s car insurance policy. In Georgia, drivers are required to have a minimum amount of bodily injury liability insurance for this purpose. Sometimes your car insurance policy will also cover your accident-related medical bills if you have MedPay or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
In many cases, figuring out which insurance policy to make a claim on can be confusing. Some injured people aren’t even sure who caused the accident or what happened. Others don’t know how to get their claim approved or may have received an unfair denial for a claim. If any of this sounds familiar, your best chance of getting your medical bills covered is by speaking with a personal injury lawyer, sooner rather than later. Our office staff can connect you with an excellent local law firm if needed.
Other Services Available to Complement Your Grayson Chiropractor Treatment
Chiropractic adjustments can be very effective, but every case is different, and some patients also benefit from other treatments. Many respond best to a personalized plan with multiple treatments to maximize the patient’s progress. We also monitor how you’re responding to treatment and will add or change therapies as needed to provide more pain and symptom relief.
Here are some of the other services we offer, many of which are used in conjunction with chiropractic adjustment:
Massage Therapy
We offer several types of massage therapy to be used in different situations.
Myofascial release or trigger point therapy uses massage techniques on the myofascial tissue, which surrounds muscles, ligaments, and joints. A massage therapist palpates the myofascial tissue, searching for hard knots or spasms which can cause pain in nearby areas. Once the massage therapist locates a knot, they will massage it until the knot changes or the spasm releases. This can improve blood flow and ease the referred pain the patient was experiencing due to the knot.
Regenerative Medicine
This is a form of treatment that focuses on helping the body heal itself. One of our most common regenerative therapies is platelet-rich plasma injections or PRP. This is a simple procedure in three steps:
- We draw your blood.
- We place the blood in a centrifuge, and it isolates a compound called platelet-rich plasma, which contains bio proteins and other agents that promote healing.
- This platelet-rich plasma is injected into a joint or muscle that hasn’t responded well to other treatments. The plasma then speeds up the healing process, and most patients return to their normal activities in a day or two.
PRP therapy appears to be most effective for lateral epicondylitis or osteoarthritis of the knee, but may also be helpful for other conditions.
Contact Us About Grayson Chiropractor Treatment Today
If you have questions or concerns about treatment or simply want to know your options, we’re happy to help. We can also assist you with questions about cost and insurance coverage and can put you in touch with a personal injury lawyer if you like. Contact our office in Grayson or call (678) 985-7286 to schedule an evaluation of your symptoms so we can recommend a customized treatment plan for you.