When we’re young, we don’t pay too much attention to flexibility and range of motion. Things like flexibility are usually taken for granted. It’s only when you realise you aren’t as flexible as you used to be that you decide to work on your range of movement. The truth is; there are multiple factors that affect your flexibility and they go from obesity, overweight to problem joints. Your profession or sedentary lifestyle can also affect your range of movement. You can address this problem in numerous ways and chiropractic care is one of them.
Improving flexibility
The reason you should work on improving your range of movement is because poor flexibility affects your strength, endurance, and overall quality of life. You can improve flexibility in number of ways including:
- Eating healthy diet
- Getting enough sleep (your joints and muscles need enough rest)
- Losing weight
- Staying active
- Visiting a chiropractor
- doing yoga and mobilisation
Does chiropractic really help?
Chiropractic aims to improve your flexibility in a completely natural manner without medications and using products that promise miraculous results. It’s a holistic approach towards more flexible you.
If you’re wondering whether chiropractic can really help you, then you’ll be glad to know its benefits for flexibility have been scientifically proven.
For instance, the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics study that included 105 patients discovered that chiropractic adjustments successfully increased range of motions in participants. The study included three stages: no adjustments, placebo adjustments, and actual adjustments. In each phase of the study, participants who received actual adjustments showed significant improvement in range of motion compared to those with sham adjustments or no adjustments
Decreased range of motion results in downward spiral of disability thus leading to pain, stiffness, and limited flexibility.
This isn’t the only study which confirmed the beneficial effects of chiropractic on flexibility. The study whose results where published in the Journal of Chiropractic and Manual Therapies revealed that chiropractic treatment provided measurable improvement in range of motion in 60 participants who were part of this research.
What does chiropractor do to improve flexibility?
Chiropractic care involves spinal adjustments and manipulation to other parts of one’s body to adjust the joints, bones and muscles in order to relieve the pain, improve flexibility, and restore range of motion. The adjustments can be performed manually or with various techniques such as electrical stimulation, trigger point therapy, ultrasound etc. Your chiropractor can also recommend exercises you should do to improve your range of motion successfully.
Test your flexibility
Do you need chiropractic care to improve your range of movement? The best way to find out is to perform the following test exercises to move your neck in various motions:
- Extension: tilt your head back to look at the ceiling (it should be 60-80 degrees)
- Flexion: move your head forward and try to touch chest with your chin (aim for 40-60 degrees)
- Rotation: turn your head to the left and right making sure chin is in line with shoulders (aim for 60-80 degrees)
- Lateral bending: bend the head to bring right or left ear to your right or left shoulder (aim for 45 degrees)
NOTE: if you feel like your neck is inflexible or stiff while trying to perform these movements, don’t force it! Making movements that are beyond your range of motion can lead to injury. Instead, schedule an appointment to see a chiropractor. He/she can help improve your range of motion and prevent further degeneration.
References
http://wellnesswaychiro.com/chiropractic-helps-improve-neck-flexibility-range-motion/
http://www.stekelchiropractic.com/2013/how-does-chiropractic-help-increase-range-of-motion-and-flexibility/
http://wellnesswaychiro.com/chiropractic-helps-improve-neck-flexibility-range-motion/