Chiropractor for Pinched Nerves in Anchorage, AK
Relieve Pinched Nerves at Better Health Alaska Chiropractic
Better Health Alaska Chiropractic began operations in 1998 under the leadership of Dr. Brent Wells, our CEO and chief chiropractor. Since that time, our team of expert chiropractors in Anchorage have dealt with musculoskeletal issues, like pinched nerves, with compassion, professionalism, and effective practical results.
Our chiropractic care stands out for many reasons. To begin with, we make four very important promises to the patients we serve:
- Get-a-Ride Promise: If you need it, we will provide transportation to get you here.
- First Visit Promise: – Your satisfaction is guaranteed.
- Same Day Promise: – If you call before 4pm, we’ll see you that day.
- Ten-minute Promise: – Our doctor will see you within ten minutes of your arrival.
Additionally, the healthcare we offer is convenient, comprehensive, holistic, and effective. We treat the whole body, offering healing and recovery without surgery or other invasive therapies. So, if you’re suffering from a pinched nerve, we’re the place to go!
What to Expect for a Pinched Nerve Chiropractic Care
By itself, Chiropractic Care is highly effective at treating a pinched nerve. However, when combined with other modalities – like physical therapy, and/or massage – the results of each discipline often build off the others, amplifying benefits considerably.
Your First Visit
Of course, the particulars of which therapy and techniques we’ll use will be determined on your first visit. The visit will begin with a discussion of your medical history and how the pinched nerve is affecting you, followed by a thorough exam to diagnose and zone in on where the compressed nerve is located (which may not be where expected). From there, the doctor of chiropractic will develop your comprehensive treatment plan. This plan will delineate all the modalities that will be brought to bear on your pinched nerve. The most common ones include:
- Spinal Adjustments
- Flexion-distraction Techniques
- And Massage Therapy
The plan will also detail a schedule of regular office visits to implement treatments and track progress.
Benefits of Regular Chiropractic Treatment
Chiropractic care is highly effective at relieving the symptoms of a pinched nerve as well as resolving the root cause (the nerve compression). For our patients, that typically means:
- Reduced pain
- Alleviation of numbness
- Alleviation of weakness
- Improved sleep
- And the dissolution of whatever other symptoms the compressed nerve may be causing.
So, if you’re suffering from a pinched nerve and its usual bevy of symptoms, reach out to us at Better Health Alaska Chiropractic. Take a look at what others have said about us. We helped them. We can help you, too.
What Studies Say About Chiropractors for Back Pain?
Chiropractor for a pinched nerve in Anchorage or Juneau: There are many different pinched nerve symptoms. The most common symptoms are often confused with other issues, so it’s important to see a trained professional for proper diagnoses. Our excellent Better Health chiropractors can help with pinched nerves.
Pinched nerves, known in the medical community as radiculopathy, are when a nerve is pinched in the spine, causing pain, numbness, and sometimes weakness. Chiropractic care for pinched nerves has been shown to be an effective means of treatment in various studies. The most common treatments include spinal adjustments, flexion-distraction techniques, and massage therapy.
Can a Chiropractor Help a Pinched Nerve?
There are a number of ways that healthcare professionals deal with pinched nerves. The most common causes of pinched nerves include bulging or herniated discs in the back and neck, or inflammation of the nerves where they move through joints.
For this reason, anti-inflammatory drugs can help provide temporary pain relief, which is often the go-to tactic for many physicians. This, combined with a wait-and-see approach, is common. Unfortunately, waiting for a pinched nerve to go away can make things worse and prolong treatment. Or, in severe cases, it can cause permanent damage to the nerve.
Chiropractic care for a pinched nerve reduces pain with natural anti-inflammatory treatments. Then, once the doctor has reduced the pain, they will aim to correct the problem causing the pinched nerve, so it doesn’t recur. These corrections are always non-invasive and natural. With chiropractic care, you can always expect natural treatments for pinched nerves.
Chiropractor for Pinched Nerve Studies
There is a growing number of studies detailing the effectiveness of chiropractic care in treating pinched nerves. Below are a few studies done in recent years detailing the treatment of pinched nerves in the back and neck.
Can a Chiropractor Help a Pinched Nerve in the Back?
The back — especially the lower back — is a common area for pinched nerves. The low back is flexible and is constantly under stress. As a result, it’s common for bulging or herniated discs to pinch nerves exiting the spinal column. This can cause various symptoms, the most common of which are:
- Back Pain
- Trouble Sitting
- Numbness and Tingling Down One or Both Legs
- Sciatica
A 2008 study of 162 patients with a pinched nerve in the lumbar spine found chiropractic care to be largely effective. After an average of 9 treatment sessions, 85% of the patients in the study experienced relief of their primary symptoms.
Another study detailed the chiropractic treatment of a 31-year-old man with a pinched nerve in the low back due to a large herniated disc. The doctor of chiropractic prescribed a multimodal approach which included non-loading exercises, press-ups, flexion-distraction, and side posture manipulation. The treatment protocols worked, allowing the man to get back to work less than a month after his initial symptoms began. A follow-up 169 days later showed “no significant symptoms or lifestyle restrictions.”
Can a Chiropractor Help a Pinched Nerve in the Neck?
Closeup side view of an early 60’s senior gentleman having some lower back pain. He’s at laying sideways on the examination table while the doctor is touching and massaging his lower back area.Sciatica is a good example of a common pinched nerve. Since the sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body and it runs down from the lumbar spine through the buttocks and down the back of the leg, it’s a prime candidate for irritation.
A herniated disc in the lower back can press on the sciatic nerve, causing pain in the back and down the leg. But chiropractic care can help.
This study details a woman suffering from severe sciatic nerve pain and leg swelling. A cardiologist could find no cause for the leg swelling. The woman sought help from a chiropractor who successfully treated her for both sciatica pain and leg swelling.
Spinal Manipulation for a Pinched Nerve
Spinal manipulation is one of many treatment options chiropractors offer. They use these spinal adjustments in cases where the pinched nerve results from a bulging spinal disc. These manipulations are done in a few different ways but are most commonly done by hand. The chiropractor will apply a specific amount of thrust in a specific direction to relieve the pressure on the pinched nerve.
Spinal adjustments are all about bringing the spinal joints back into proper position, which can relieve the pressure on the spinal disc, which can relieve the pressure on the nerve. This, combined with other chiropractic modalities, has proven effective for many patients with spinal nerve compression, as detailed in the studies above.
Surgery for Pinched Nerve
Surgery should always be a last resort for a pinched nerve. Because pinched nerves are commonly pinched at the spine, the surgery can be very risky. But even successful surgeries don’t come without risks. Some of these include:
- Recurring Symptoms
- Infection
- Hematoma
- Blood Clots
- Nerve Injury
- Paralysis
Chiropractic care and surgery are on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to pinched nerve treatment. Chiropractic care is considered extremely safe, mostly because it’s non-invasive and natural. For this reason, you should always seek out conservative, natural care before considering surgery unless your symptoms are life-threatening or extremely severe.
What Will a Chiropractor Do for a Pinched Nerve?
Seeing a chiropractor for a pinched nerve is a fairly straightforward process, although many people find it more in-depth than seeing other physicians. It will start with your extensive medical history and your description of your symptoms. Next, you will undergo a thorough exam that may or may not include x-rays or an MRI. Then your doctor of chiropractic will sit down with you and formulate a treatment plan, explaining your options and the best course of action.
Treatment plans for pinched nerves often look something like this:
- Pain and inflammation reduction
- Laser therapy
- Ultrasound
- Physical rehabilitation exercises
- Cold Therapy
- Spinal Adjustments
- Flexion-Distraction
- Exercises
- Both with the chiropractor and at-home
- Physical Therapy
- For strength and muscle building
- Massage Therapy
- To promote healing, relieve pain, and help relaxation
A good chiropractor will also provide you with helpful lifestyle tips. He or she will tell you things to avoid with a pinched nerve. You may also have a posture analysis done to make sure that you do nothing more to cause the pinched nerve to return or get worse. Many chiropractors are also nutritionists and can give you tips on eating to reduce inflammation and promote healing. And, of course, if your pinched nerve is interfering with your rest, a chiropractor can give you tips on how to sleep with a pinched nerve.
Chiropractic Care for Pinched Nerve: Conclusion
There’s a growing mountain of evidence that shows how effective and safe chiropractic care is for a pinched nerve. The multi-disciplinary approach to treating pinched nerves has the best outcome in both the short and the long term.
This is why at Better Health Chiropractic, we combine chiropractic care, physical therapy, and massage therapy. We’ve helped thousands of Alaskans with pinched nerves over the years. By combining these different treatment options under one roof, we make things convenient for our patients and always aim for a fast and thorough recovery.
So if you’re looking for a chiropractor for a pinched nerve in Anchorage or Juneau, call or message us today to book an appointment. We’ll even find out all the relevant information about your insurance coverage! Message us today.