7 Things You Probably Didn't Know a Chiropractor Can Do

I asked the people around me a simple question: What does a chiropractor do? Most answered "crack your back" or something along that line; thanks to numerous videos on the Internet that only show them cracking some part of the patient's body.

After weeks of treatment at Spinalive, Damansara Uptown, we have learnt that chiropractors are so much more than just 'cracking your back'!

#1 Consultation

Chiropractors do not and should not blindly crack / adjust your body. In my sister's case, she has scoliosis - S shaped spine - so cracking wrongly may actually harm her. Dr Elaine who specialises in scoliosis cases went through her MRI scan and examined her body before beginning treatment.

From the consultation session itself, I felt very comfortable as Dr Elaine took her time to explain everything to us. Both my sister and I felt that we can trust Dr Elaine with her scoliosis treatment.

Gotta treat that scoliosis before it gets worse!

#2 Adjustment that doesn't involve pushing your whole body

As my sister is extra sensitive, Dr Elaine is making slight adjustments bit by bit. She is using this little tool called an activator which delivers a quick, low-force impulse to joints with the goal of restoring motion to the targeted joint.

#3 Dry Needling

Dry needling treatment is used to relax tight muscles which may be caused by injury. Knots restrict blood flow, causing that part of your body to feel tight or uncomfortable. Breaking the knot with dry needling can stimulate the muscle and restore flexibility.

Is dry needling the same as acupuncture? No. Both treatments involve inserting needles into your body but acupuncture is done on meridian points to relieve pain or discomfort by opening energy flow whereas Dr Jen does dry needling on muscles to remove knots and relieve muscle ache.

#4 Decompression Therapy

Non-surgical spinal decompression - basically stretching and pulling your body to take pressure off the spinal disks. Sounds scary but really isn't! The process is really slow, gentle, and pain-free.

Decompression therapy vs Traction? My sister had previously gone for traction which is similar but felt decompression therapy is more effective, comfortable, and specific. The latter is probably because this decompression therapy machine has straps to hold your body to ensure only the correct body part is being decompressed instead of pulling your whole body. The doctor will also adjust the angle to focus the pulling on the specific location that needs it.

#5 Muscle Stretching & Massage

We also found out that my sister has chronic torticolis - the muscles on one side of her neck are shorter, pulling the head to tilt in one direction. The physiotherapist gently stretched the muscles and even treated my sister to a little massage.

#6 Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM)

Is IASTM gua sha? No. IASTM is done lightly and doesn't cause bruising like gua sha. IASTM can break down abnormal densities in tissue to produce a healing response from the body while gua sha is done to bring toxins and excessive heat to the surface to be released.

You can see how Dr Akmal is doing it lightly as compared to gua sha.

#7 Exercise

Most videos do NOT show you this - sessions with the chiropractor alone doesn't magically solve your problems. You'll be given 'homework' - a set of exercise to do at home to complement your treatment. Do NOT attempt to Google this and DIY the exercise as the type of exercise is customised for each patient based on their issues.

Thank you to everyone from Spinalive for being so patient with us. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone who requires treatment.

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Address: Spinalive Sdn. Bhd, 79G, Jalan SS21/60 Damansara Utama, 47400, Selangor, Malaysia.
Phone number: 03-7732 8003 / 017-797 7678 (WhatsApp)
Email: enquiry.spinalive@gmail.com