Back to Basics Chiropractic and Massage: Blog

Back to Basics Chiropractic helps patients rehabilitate from all kinds of injuries.  The method of icing an injury, called cryotherapy, is known to provide cooling relief and help numb painful soft tissue injuries. Applying ice safely by using an ice pack or cold compress is an excellent way to treat muscle spasms and injuries like sprains and strains.  If icing an injury does not provide relief or your pain worsens, contact us for help. After an injury, affected soft tissue will be inflamed and icing the area reduces inflammation and pain, as well as cools the skin to constrict blood vessels and heal the area.  The healing effects of ice pack therapy can also be helpful after a flare-up in chronic pain like in the back or knee, and is a cheap option for at-home relief. Cryotherapy is an effective way to manage pain at home without medication, and we also provide custom cryotherapy in the office. To learn more about cryotherapy and all the services provided at the practice, visit www.b...

Back to Basics Chiropractic is happy to welcome first-time chiropractic patients.  New chiropractic patients often arrive frustrated, having tried other treatment methods and not found relief from their pain or discomfort.  Chiropractic takes a systemic approach to care, meaning the whole body and the body’s ability to heal itself are considered in every case. This is why your initial consultation and assessment with a chiropractor is especially important.  We will work to understand your goals for treatment, and take a very detailed record of your current condition using a physical exam and sometimes x-rays.  From there, we can form a treatment plan to target any issues and improve overall health. What surprises most new patients is that chiropractic does not incorporate drugs as part of treatment.  Chiropractic focuses on treating the root cause of any pain, rather than masking symptoms with medication.  Whether you are in serious pain or looking to restore your body’s natural balanc...

Back to Basics Chiropractic recommends chiropractic adjustments for migraine sufferers who have yet to find relief. Chiropractic treatment will not cure migraines, but it is one of the few ways to be proactive against migraines and help prevent them.  In someone prone to migraine episodes, a trigger can often be a misalignment, or subluxation of the spine.  Migraines can begin with tension in the neck, but even patients without migraines find keeping their neck free of kinks helps improve frequent headaches. Dysfunctional vertebrae in the neck can cause increased muscle tension and interrupt the nerves that control blood flow to the brain. Chiropractic adjustments relieve the pressure and tension that results in headaches, and keep the spine aligned to help it function at its best. The exact cause of migraines is unknown, but most theories acknowledge an interruption in either nerve activity, blood flow to the brain, or both.  Regular chiropractic adjustments also help facilitate healt...

Back to Basics Chiropractic offers cold laser therapy to patients suffering from muscle pain.  Cold laser therapy can be used almost anywhere on the body to relieve pain and promote healing. If you have acute or chronic muscle pain in your neck, back, or shoulders and chiropractic adjustments haven’t helped you, cold laser therapy could be the solution for you.  Patients suffering from sprains, arthritis, and tendonitis are often recommended this treatment, because it also helps reduce inflammation. The laser is a small handheld device placed directly on the skin in the affected area. It uses light to stimulate affected muscle tissue, and has the ability to penetrate two to five centimeters below the skin. The laser is applied to the affected area for anywhere from 30 seconds to several minutes at a time. Treatments are usually scheduled a few times a week, and the length of a treatment plan can vary. Cold laser therapy is a non-invasive, drug-free solution with no adverse side effects...

At Back to Basics Chiropractic, we heal patients dealing with problematic spinal discs using spinal decompression therapy.  Non-surgical spinal decompression therapy is a safe, targeted treatment for any herniated discs in a patient’s spine or nerves.  Injured discs in the neck and back cause pain, but can also affect the rest of the body.  Herniated discs often have a direct impact on the central nervous system, causing more pain to the extremities.  Our doctors can determine if spinal decompression is an appropriate solution for your pain. Spinal decompression is performed with equipment that resembles a table but has moving parts.  Patients lie on their back or stomach, depending on the location of the issue, and are attached to the equipment with padded straps so distraction forces can be applied to the spine.  A typical treatment alternates between applying distraction forces to the vertebrae and periods of partial relaxation.  The result is the vertebrae slowly and gently separat...

We’ve all seen massage advertised by spas as an indulgence or pampering, but the long-practiced therapy has many health benefits and has helped patients of Back to Basics Chiropractic heal.  Combining chiropractic treatment with massage therapy helps improve a patient’s overall musculoskeletal health and functionality. Another benefit of massage therapy is it releases toxins built up in the muscles, which can then exit the body. This purge of toxins is important for chiropractic patients and anyone with injuries because it helps the body heal itself. Chiropractic massages are still performed in a calm, soothing environment.  Relaxation cannot heal injuries on its own but is still important to overall health, especially for patients with chronic pain or stress.  Your massage therapist can target problem areas, or focus on relaxing certain muscles in order to help your chiropractor perform an adjustment. Regular massage also increases circulation and flexibility, which makes this therapy...