More than one million back injuries take place at work every year. If it’s not at work, you may be one of the thousands of weekend warriors who injure their backs trying to make their yards look perfect, mowing, weeding, mulching, planting, lifting, etc. 
If you have suffered a back injury, you’re not alone. It’s estimated that 80 percent of adults experience a back injury during their lifetime.
And if you’re like most Americans, you try to push through the pain and avoid a trip to the doctor’s office. After all, won’t the doctor tell you to rest, avoid lifting and take an aspirin?
If that’s your attitude, you probably haven’t visited a chiropractor lately. Medical doctors specializing in back injuries often provide sound advice and care. In some cases, their recommended treatment calls for plenty of medicinal help, physical therapy and surgery.
Conversely, many chiropractors will try to avoid injections and surgery and pursue non-invasive options, like manual manipulation, physical therapy or acupuncture. Their extensive experience in treating the spine and surrounding areas make them especially qualified to handle back injuries.
So, what could you expect if you scheduled an appointment with a chiropractor?
- Your medical history and symptoms. You likely will be asked to complete various forms ahead of your appointment. That helps educate the chiropractor in advance about your conditions. Once you are in the face-to-face appointment, you may be asked to describe the pain, the injury that may have caused the pain and any treatments you have applied that may have eased your pain.
- Chiropractic Exam. In addition to general tests (blood pressure, heart rate, reflexes, etc.), you may be asked to undergo orthopedic and neurological tests to assess your range of motion, muscle strength and more.
- Diagnostic Studies. Based on the results of your interview and the chiropractic exam, chiropractors may want to take x-rays to confirm their diagnosis and identify any structural irregularities that might affect the kind of treatment you will receive.
- Diagnosis & Proposed Treatment Plan. The chiropractor will provide his/her diagnosis and lay out a treatment plan, along with the length of time that is anticipated to address your pain.
Patients are, on average, greatly satisfied with their chiropractic care, citing reduced pain and increased mobility as the two primary benefits of visiting their chiropractor. There are many choices available to those who want relief from their back pain, as a professional, like a back pain chiropractor in Gaithersburg, MD, at a treatment center like AmeriWell Clinics, can explain.