To most people chiropractic care means having your spine adjusted through manual manipulation. This would be a very basic explanation of what a chiropractor does and can do for you. While spinal manipulation to realign the spine is the main focus of chiropractic medicine, relieving pain is the secondary focus and often the cause of the need for realigning.  However, the medical personnel at a chiropractic center understand that a realignment does not always provide immediate pain relief so they offer other treatments and therapies. Here are just a few ways you will find immediate pain relief. 

Massage Therapy

It is possible that the spine manipulations have caused some muscular pain in addition to any pain you were feeling before your appointment. One way to ease the pain is with massage therapy. The therapists there are used to working with chiropractors so they understand how to apply their skills without undoing all the work done during the alignment. 

Hot Tubs and Ice Tubs

Another way to mitigate pain and minimize future pain is with heat and cold. Sometimes a hot tub for heat is the best option while an ice bath may be better at other times. Of course, you may be instructed to sit in one tub for a specified amount of time and then swap to the other. In addition to helping with pain, these features are very good at helping with inflammation. The doctor will know which treatment will work best for your situation.

Ultrasound Therapy

An ultrasound can provide heat deep into the soft tissues of the body to relieve muscle and joint pain. The effects are similar to a manual massage but deeper. Another benefit of ultrasound can be to relieve lower back pain by increasing blood flow and circulation to the area that promotes healing. This also helps with inflammation and muscle jerks.

When you suffer from chronic pain, an appointment at a chiropractic center can provide relief. You may also want to check the place out for acute pain issues. Do not think they will only treat you if the pain is related to a misalignment of your spinal column. The services they offer can be of great help to any type of muscular or joint problem. Of course, you may be surprised to learn that this other pain may in fact be due to a spinal problem or find that the pain you are experiencing is causing you to hold yourself and walk differently, causing a misalignment of the spine.