The Role of Chiropractic Wellness in Comprehensive PTSD Treatment Plans and Pain Management
People who have PTSD can have both mental and physical pain. While a therapist can help with the mental aspect to a degree, what can be done for the physical aspect? One might want to consider consulting a chiropractor.
Here are a good number of reasons on how chiropractic care can play a role in PTSD treatment. While it’s far from a comprehensive list, it should hopefully be a great start. Read on to learn more:
How It Can Directly Help PTSD and Pain
A chiropractor is intimately familiar with how a person’s body works. This allows them to target certain areas that will wind up providing relief in a variety of ways. Here’s how they could help a patient suffering from PTSD:
Reduces Muscle Tension - If someone is constantly feeling like they are in fight-or-flight mode, which means they are usually constantly tense in both mind and body. The chiropractor can provide relief by helping to relax the muscles that have been bunched up throughout the day.
Calms the Nervous System - Now that the muscles are looser, chiropractic care can also help the person’s overall nervous system. That feeling of mental tension can be alleviated, which will make for a much more relaxed state.
Manages Chronic Pain - When people think of chronic pain, they tend to think of it as being caused by an injury. While that happens, other things can be due to those tight muscles, which can lead to pain, headaches, and knots. The chiropractor can help by restoring body alignment, easing nerve pressure, reducing any inflammation, and alleviating any overall physical tension.
Improves Sleep - Tension and pain tend to interfere with sleep. Instead of relying on pills to try to get incomplete rest, they can sleep much more deeply after the chiropractor helps rid them of both.
Releases Hormones - When someone is stressed, they also release hormones like cortisol. This can create tension just as much as bunching up their muscles. On the other hand, a chiropractor can help them naturally release hormones that feel good, like oxytocin, which will help the patient relax.
How It Can Be Part of a Comprehensive Plan
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all plan for treating PTSD/Pain. People are complex, after all, and what works for one won’t necessarily produce the same results for another. These plans can involve various therapies, and chiropractic can be an excellent addition to any of them. Here’s why:
Holistic Approach - A chiropractor also aims to help the root cause of a certain issue, not just fix a certain symptom. By doing this, they can help their patient get well, and not just manage to get by.
Complements Other Therapies: When it comes to PTSD/Pain Management, the chiropractic work isn’t being done in a vacuum. Their patient is also likely seeing a physical therapist, among others. By integrating this into the overall treatment plan, it can lead to much better results than without chiropractic care.
Builds Trust - When it comes to the various forms of treatments, a chiropractor is usually the most hands-on, next to a physical therapist. This can allow the patient to develop a strong sense of trust, since their well-being can be tied to what the chiropractor does.
Important Things to Consider
Treating PTSD/Pain is not a simple matter, and there are a lot of things to think about before starting anything like chiropractic care, among others. Here are some of those considerations:
Should Be Done Later - This means that a patient shouldn’t consider this the first part of rehabilitation. There are a number of other things that can be done, including the ones mentioned above. Also, it shouldn’t be the only thing that should be done. That can lead to other things being neglected.
Make Sure Trauma-Informed Care Can Be Implemented - You might be scratching your head and wondering what “Trauma-Informed Care” even means. Think of it this way: If you’re sitting in front of the chiropractor for your first meeting, they aren’t going to be thinking along the lines of “What’s the matter with you?” Instead, their question would be “What happened to you?” By focusing on that, they can then get to the root of the problem. That’s Trauma-Informed Care.
The best thing for a patient looking to treat their PTSD/Pain is to have treatments that are more individual-focused. That means they usually benefit more from having one-on-one sessions. While that doesn’t necessarily mean they shouldn’t go to a group session to discuss what could have caused their PTSD, a chiropractor could be invaluable when it comes to treating their issues.
When it comes to PTSD/Pain Management, there aren’t any quick fixes. It’s a process, and it’s one where chiropractic care should be considered. Then patients can begin their journey toward a life of physical and mental wellness.
