Do Chiropractors Diagnose?
Do Chiropractors Diagnose?
While conducting chiropractic training, we are taught the ability to provide a specific diagnosis, specifically for problems pertaining to neuro-musculoskeletal conditions.
For lower back pain, mid back pain, neck pain, and spinal pain, there are various diagnoses. Additionally, it is widespread for a patient to suffer from more than one condition simultaneously.
At Dublin Chiropractic & Physiotherapy, we screen for signs of underlying medical problems and refer you to your GP or another specialist when needed.
Do Chiropractors Diagnose Injury’s?
When you visit our clinic, the main goal of the chiropractor is to figure out the issue and make a diagnosis.
The diagnosis is necessary as it is used to determine what needs to be addressed and the type of treatment to be followed. Part of the assessment is looking for what may be contributing to your pain. This helps guide treatment.
For more information about our Chiropractic Care or to book your consultation, call us at (01) 575 2623 or visit our contact page.
The Differential Diagnosis
During the process of diagnosis, it is crucial and essential to make a differential diagnosis.
A differential diagnosis refers to making a list of all possible causes of the symptoms and applying the tests and examinations to conclude regarding the reason for the symptom(s). During this process, the medical history, gender and age of the patient is also considered, and possible conditions are ranked accordingly.
Choosing from a whole group of possible causes can be a tough job and lengthy task. However, it is part of making sure the chiropractor has considered the possible causes.
It is not enough to ask the patient regarding the areas affected by the pain and to ask them to bend up and down and/or touch toes.
Back Pain
There exists multiple diagnoses for lower back pain, mid back pain, neck pain, and spinal pain. Moreover, it is a prevalent phenomenon for a patient to suffer from more than one condition at a time.
A list of the most common back conditions that come across in chiropractic practice includes Modic Changes, Piriformis Syndrome, Lateral Dynamic Stenosis, Central Stenosis, Disc Herniation (Slipped Disc), Sacroiliac Joint Syndrome, and Facet Joint Syndrome.
A syndrome is a term that defines a collection of various symptoms related to the injury of sacroiliac or facet joints. This includes referred pain and muscle spasm. Area of the referred pain and the muscle involved is differing in every case.
Lower back pain is also an indication of serious illnesses. Some of the rare causes of lower back pain are problems such as abdominal pathology, infections, and cancer. Such causes are uncommon, but it is important they are recognised early.
Seek urgent medical care (GP, A&E, or call 112/999) if you have loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness around the groin or buttocks, progressive leg or arm weakness, or pain with fever, unexplained weight loss, chest pain or breathlessness.
The Effect of The Chiropractic Adjustment
Our Treatment Does Not Only Involve Chiropractic Adjustments.
The principal method of chiropractic treatment is joint manipulation or adjustments. Yet, we are trained in various other techniques. This allows us to suggest a suitable treatment plan for you.
A Brief History
Early chiropractors, starting with the profession’s founder Daniel D. Palmer, described adjustments as moving displaced spinal bones back into place, and believed that displaced bones caused pain and disease elsewhere in the body.
We don’t make that claim. Today, adjustments are used to help improve movement in stiff joints and ease pain.