“Do I need chiropractic treatment?”

Despite being one of alternative medicine's most contentious procedures, chiropractic has gained widespread acceptance in recent years. The reason being the never-ending stream of spine-cracking videos with millions of views on social media.

The Internet often leads to unreliable or exaggerated information prompting us to question this rapidly growing sensation. Although many people are sceptical that chiropractic adjustments have any curative effects, other specialists believe they may be a helpful therapy for specific types of neck or back pain.

To support this claim, we spoke with Dr Nadinn Shamsul from Chiro Sense. Her journey as a chiropractor started when she was originally introduced to chiropractic as a teenager after receiving a treatment, and instantly thought it was a very interesting profession to pursue. She then completed her Bachelor and Master programme in RMIT University Melbourne.

Having been in the field for over a decade now, Dr Nadinn is experienced and adept in treating patients from all walks of life.

Healthy spine, happy life

A chiropractic adjustment is the application of a specified amount of force and pressure to a very specific part of the body, mainly the spine, to relieve the nerve impingement. The aim of chiropractic is to locate and treat nerve impingement or pressure. Pain and discomfort are caused by nerve pressure, which can occur anywhere in the body.

“Our job as chiropractors is to use the tools that we have such as observation, history taking, palpation and medical imaging to find the nerve pressure and relieve it by way of an adjustment,” explains Dr Nadinn. Lower back discomfort, pain between the shoulder blades, and neck pain are the most prevalent forms of instances.

So when should one see a chiropractor? “When you experience pain and discomfort,” answers Dr Nadinn. The pain could be the result of a recent accident, such as a fall, or it could be pain that develops gradually over time. You can also get chiropractic care for joint pain in the extremities like knees, ankles, elbows and wrists.

The regularity of chiropractic sessions usually depends on the severity and duration of the injury as well as how well the patient heals and how suitable the treatment is to their injury. According to Dr Nadinn, some of her patients only needed two treatments while the others required monthly treatments.

Yes, chiropractic care has often been associated only with older people, but young people can benefit from seeing a chiropractor too. Spinal health is very important for people of all ages and certain musculoskeletal conditions can be prevented from an early age. Besides correcting your spinal misalignments, a chiropractor can give you advice on proper posture and exercise, and help to encourage healthy habits.

Before receiving chiropractic care, it is crucial for the chiropractor to take a thorough history and perform a physical assessment to determine if chiropractic treatment will suit the patient to avoid severe adverse effects. Lack of proper assessment can result in unnecessary discomfort like increased pain and even fractures for patients with a bone weakening disease. For some patients, an X-ray or MRI may be needed prior to treatment.

Healthy spine is all about having a good posture but prolonged sitting, such as working in a sitting position for too long, can decrease bodily mobility, increasing the likelihood of muscles pulling, cramping, or straining when suddenly stretched. This can negatively affect your posture. “Make sure your desk setup is ergonomic and to move every hour. This could be walking to the pantry and back or standing up and doing a light stretch,” suggests Dr Nadinn.

Being a chiropractor is not easy work, but it can be rewarding. “I love talking to my patients. You get to meet people from very different backgrounds who are into very different things,” says Dr Nadinn. Think you need chiropractic treatment? Visit Dr Nadinn at Chiro Sense for consultation.