Can going to the chiropractor help you lose weight? This may be a confusing question to you but it is true; there are ways that chiropractors can help with weight loss. However, it really depends on what type of chiropractor you go to. The more knowledgeable you are about chiropractors and their relation to weight loss, the less likely you’ll fall for some tricks used by those unqualified in the practice.
Some habits, diets, and activities are more crucial to be done by others who want to lose weight and improve one’s health. Coincidentally, regular visits to a chiropractor may help you maintain a better overall healthy lifestyle, especially if you are experiencing chronic pain.
What Is A Chiropractic Adjustment?
Chiropractic care is a type of complementary medicine and natural treatment that is based on the idea that your body can cure itself when you combine a healthy diet, exercise, and wellness services with specialized hands-on manipulations from a qualified specialist. These adjustments assist in realigning your joints and may provide pain relief.
Chiropractic adjustments can help reduce the pain that is caused by your:
- bones
- muscles
- cartilage
- joints
- fibrous connective tissue
Depending on the specific problem you’re experiencing, chiropractic treatment may concentrate on different regions of your body in addition to your spine. It shares similarities with physical therapy, and using both types of treatment to treat specific illnesses may be beneficial.
The Work Of A Chiropractor
A chiropractor will strive to speed up a patient’s natural recovery from an illness or accident without the need for drugs or surgery. Among the most popular chiropractic methods are:
Adjustment and Manipulations
The primary method used in chiropractic adjustments is this one. A chiropractor will attempt to ensure that the spine’s vertebrae are correctly aligned. This can relieve any tension or inflammation in the nerves, blood vessels, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Once the spine is correctly positioned, the body will begin to heal itself.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is another treatment method that chiropractors utilize to speed up recovery. A skilled chiropractor can use needles to target trigger points that affect how the body distributes nutrition, hormones, oxygen, and minerals.
Some Instruments a Chiropractor Uses to Assist in Patient Diagnosis and Treatment.
Other tools or instruments might also assist in patient care, depending on where and how chiropractors specialize.
- X-ray machine
- Ultrasound instruments
- Activator tool
- Chiropractic table
Types Of Chiropractic Techniques
There are several different chiropractic techniques. Every chiropractor has their preferences which they may offer based on their specialized knowledge or on what they know about your condition. Here are some of the most common techniques used:
Diversified Technique – This technique is one most people are familiar with. It is a widely used type of chiropractic adjustment or manipulation and the most commonly used of all chiropractic techniques. Also known as the direct thrust technique, chiropractors use their hands and apply a rapid thrust to different parts of the spine at a time. Its 3 main purposes are to restore spinal alignment, repair joint dysfunction, and ensure proper movement and mobility.
Activator Technique – This is a hand-held instrument-based adjustment or manipulation. Instead of adjusting or manipulating forces being delivered by hand, an instrument delivers a gentle impulse into the vertebral segments of your spine or the extremities. The force feels like a light thumping sensation and is used to treat everything from low back pain to certain types of headaches, like migraines.
Gonstead Technique – This technique is done while you are lying on your side or sitting. It is a hands-on technique and involves adjusting the low back or pelvis. It is used to restore normal disc alignment and restore maximum mobility.
Thompson Technique – This is a low-force, safe, and gentle chiropractic technique and is a variation of the Diversified Technique but utilizes a specially designed table. The table is constructed of padded platforms fitted with drop mechanisms so that you can be “dropped” a fraction of an inch as the chiropractor applies a quick thrust to complete the adjustment.
Flexion Distraction – This utilizes a special table that distracts and flexes the spine in a gentle rhythmic motion. It is used in more than half of all chiropractic clinics and is a method of choice when treating disc herniations, facet joint pain, scoliosis, and other conditions.
What Takes Place In A Chiropractic Session?
The experts will check your spinal column for any misalignments during chiropractic treatment. The interferences brought on by these misalignments to the central nervous system might obstruct the vital communication between your body and brain.
As a result, it worsens your body’s systems, particularly your metabolic system, making it harder for you to burn fat. When modifications are made, the spine is brought back into proper alignment, and important communication is re-established.
Benefits Of Chiropractic Treatments
In the United States, at least 70 million people have some chronic pain1. The second most frequent reason Americans visit their doctor is low back discomfort2.
1. Alleviate Pain in Your Neck
Neck pain is typical, particularly if you spend a lot of time sitting, frequently craning your neck to use a phone, or have poor posture. By realigning your spine and releasing tension in your neck muscles, a chiropractor may be able to reduce your neck pain.
2. Reduces the Need for Narcotic Painkillers
Opioid painkillers are frequently prescribed to people with chronic pain in order to assist them in managing their condition. However, receiving chiropractic care might reduce your need for these pain medications.
According to a study3, individuals who attended a chiropractor for pain management were less likely to fill an opioid prescription than those who just saw their doctor.
3. Could Improve Athletic Performance
Adjustments to your spine might help you perform better in sports. This might be brought on by more flexible joints, less discomfort, and less tissue constriction.
The use of chiropractic care to treat pain brought on by an injury may be helpful.
4. It Helps to Enhance Posture
Chiropractic care may help you improve your posture, especially if it was brought on by too much sitting. When you have good posture you sleep better, feel better, and have fewer aches and pains in the joints, back, neck, and head. Proper posture also helps promote better digestion, improves organ function, and helps to make chiropractic treatments more effective.
5. Reducing Back Pain
Compared to placebo treatment, spinal manipulation was associated with modest improvements in short-term back pain and function. For the most part, a chiropractor will address stiffness and acute pain. A lot of people choose a chiropractor to relieve themselves after a sports injury, car accident or other instance of acute pain.
How Can Going To The Chiropractor Help You Lose Weight?
According to research4, people experiencing so much pain may gain weight due to comfort eating, reduced activity levels, and poor sleep habits.
Of course, it’s not always apparent whether the pain or the overweight condition arrives first. But there’s no denying that having extra weight and having chronic pain frequently coincide. You may be especially at risk for weight gain if you have a back ailment.
Chiropractic care aims to help the body heal and perform at its best from the inside out, reducing the risk of developing other health problems like weight gain. Regular chiropractic adjustments and a healthy lifestyle will help you lose weight faster.
Here are a few advantages of seeing a chiropractor for weight loss:
1. Improves Nerve Communication.
Your spine’s nerves have communication lines that regulate how hungry or full you feel. These channels are opened up, and discomfort pressure is reduced when your spine is adjusted. It makes it easier for you to determine when you should stop and when you should eat.
2. Comfortable Movements for Everyday Activities.
Your day-to-day activities can aid in maintaining your weight. The more you move throughout the day, the more calories you burn. With all these minor actions, you can burn up to 350 calories daily on average.
3. It Makes it Easier for You to Exercise.
You would work out at a lower intensity and for a shorter period than you would normally if you forced yourself to exercise through the pain. Your back pain is relieved by chiropractic therapy, allowing you to resume workouts and increase your burned calories.
