Intervertebral hernia manual therapy. The effectiveness of manual therapy for spinal hernia. Goals and objectives of manual therapy for lumbar hernia

Spinal diseases are difficult to treat with medication. Manual therapy for intervertebral hernia is an effective, well-proven method of influencing pathology. The modern technique is used in conjunction with the recommendations of a neurologist, orthopedist and neurophysiology specialist.

Pros and cons of manual therapy for intervertebral hernia

To alleviate the patient's condition, physical methods of combating the disease are used. Manual therapy for spinal hernia is considered one of the effective methods. This method has supporters and opponents. Arguments for the use of manual treatment include:

pain relief in the shortest possible time;
returning deformed joints and discs to their natural position;
reducing pressure on the spine on the hernia;
reducing the amount of painkillers you take;
successful experience of treatment with this technique.

Opponents are convinced that the therapeutic effect cannot be stabilized and is short-lived. After the procedure, in some patients the disease progresses; applying pressure and force to the spinal disc is dangerous. There is also a danger that among the doctors practicing the technique there are many impostors who can do harm.

Indications for use

This procedure can be performed if a person is bothered by pain in the lumbar region.

Manual therapy for a herniated lumbar spine is in demand among many patients. The choice of method of physical influence is determined by the doctor. A gentle massage is recommended. The prerequisites for the use of therapy are pain in the lumbar region, which intensifies when the patient sits or squats. For problems with the functioning of internal organs and the vascular system, diagnosis of hemorrhoids, diarrhea, varicose veins, painful menstruation caused by deformation of the spinal column, manual exposure sessions are recommended. This method helps relieve muscle spasm in the deformed area. If the patient is scheduled for a laminectomy (surgical removal of a herniated disc), manual manipulations will also be useful at the preparatory stage.

How are treatment sessions carried out?

Chiropractor's office

Having determined the indications for the use of manual methods for correcting a vertebral hernia, the doctor prescribes the number of sessions required, on average no more than 8 are recommended. The procedures are carried out in specially equipped rooms by doctors - chiropractors. Such rooms are equipped in regular and private clinics and specialized orthopedic centers. A mandatory attribute of the room for manual procedures is a special couch.

The doctor must provide a license to treat using manual therapy methods. Before starting the massage and after the last session, you need to take an x-ray of the spine.

Treatment at home

You can only do a back massage at home.

Proposals to conduct sessions at home should be treated with extreme caution. The patient must understand that the chiropractor will not work in an unsuitable room without special equipment. The maximum you can count on during home treatment is a high-quality massage. Having chosen therapy outside the clinic, the patient should consult a neurologist and be prepared for possible risks.

Contraindications

Treatment with manual therapy methods is effective, but not for all patients. The technique has a number of contraindications, ignoring which will aggravate the course of the disease. Sometimes it can significantly worsen the condition. A contraindication to the procedures is protrusion of the disc in the direction of the spinal cord canal. Such exposure is unacceptable if the hernia was formed as a result of injury to the spinal column or spinal compression. Severe pain in the area of deformity is a warning to use the method. This therapy is contraindicated for patients with chronic pathologies of the circulatory system, respiratory tract, and heart problems. Mental illnesses and oncology are also an obstacle to the impact of manual therapy on intervertebral hernia. You cannot begin procedures during periods of acute inflammation, the appearance of infections, or after operations. Massage for pregnant women is postponed until the birth of the child.

The lumbar spine bears the heaviest load, ensuring, together with other structures, the vertical position of the body in space. Here the vertebrae are larger, the intervertebral discs are thicker, the ligaments and muscles are more powerful. But this does not always protect against overload and hernia formation.

There are many ways to treat the disease. All of them help alleviate the condition and delay surgery. In some cases, manual therapy may also be useful.

Goals and objectives of manual therapy for lumbar hernia

For a hernia located in the lumbar spine, the following are noted:

pain in the lumbar region of varying intensity, which can radiate to the lower limbs and sacrum;
with posterolateral hernias, compression of the spinal root is possible, which is manifested by impaired sensitivity in the corresponding limb, loss of reflexes and muscle atrophy;
Posterior hernias are dangerous because they can lead to compression of the spinal cord, and this is accompanied by dysfunction of the lower extremities and pelvic organs.

Hernial protrusions can lead to compression of blood vessels, including arteries feeding the roots, as well as veins. This makes the situation even worse.

The main goals of manual therapy:

Reducing pain.
Increased mobility of the spine in the lumbar region.
Disappearance of tension symptoms.

Problems that are solved during diagnosis and treatment:

Increasing the distance between the vertebrae, eliminating compression of the intervertebral disc and compression of the spinal roots.
Returning the vertebrae to their normal position when they are displaced.
Relaxation of muscles and ligaments.
Improving regional blood circulation.

Over time, with proper treatment, fibrotization of the disc occurs - its compaction and self-fixation. As a result, the pain goes away and the spine becomes more mobile. The average time for fibrotization of a hernia ranges from 1.5 to 5 years, with two hernias this period increases to 6, with multiple hernias – up to 10 years.

Manual diagnostics

At the first meeting, the chiropractor carefully examines the complaints and medical history. A general examination is carried out, the condition of all organs and systems is assessed. Contraindications for treatment are identified. The doctor gets acquainted with the tests, X-ray data, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The condition of peripheral nerves is judged by the results of electroneuromyography.

All this is necessary to develop an individual treatment program that will be the safest and most effective. The location of the hernia is taken into account: anterior, posterior or posterolateral. The vegetative background of each patient and the influence of the vascular component are important; if necessary, drug correction is carried out.

The patient is examined in all positions: standing, sitting, lying down. Pay attention to the curves of the spine. With a lumbar hernia, flattening of the lumbar lordosis and scoliotic curvature are often observed. The degree of mobility of the spine is judged by how active movements are performed: bending forward and to the sides.

Palpation of the spine is carried out from top to bottom. At the same time, the condition of the muscles is assessed, displacement of the spinous processes, and instability of the motor segments are revealed. The most painful points are determined.

Manipulations for lumbar hernia

Use gentle techniques of influence. To begin with, achieve muscle relaxation. Mobilization techniques and post-isometric relaxation help with this. All manipulations are performed only with maximum muscle relaxation, otherwise they will simply be useless, since the long back muscles are very strong, and the doctor will not be able to overcome their resistance. This will do more harm than good.

Manipulations begin with the atlanto-occipital joint and proceed to the cervicothoracic and thoracolumbar regions. The position is selected depending on the location of the hernia, as well as changes identified in the spine during diagnosis.

The main method of influence is traction, or extension. For posterolateral hernias, traction is applied to both legs, with the patient lying on his stomach. For median hernias, the patient is placed on his back. In the presence of scoliosis, traction is performed on one leg on the side where the pain syndrome is noted.

The stretching is done very carefully, with soft rhythmic movements. After a series of such movements, a break is taken. During the second approach, the doctor needs to seize the moment and apply stronger traction. During a successful manipulation, you can hear a crunching sound. To achieve a positive result, the procedure is repeated every other day. Over time, the crunch disappears and the pain goes away.

For posterolateral hernias, extension manipulations are used. They are performed using the hands, sometimes the doctor uses the knee. Techniques that lead to twisting and increased pressure inside the discs, which may be accompanied by their loss, are contraindicated.

In some cases, directed push or impact methods are used. This is necessary when gentle techniques do not give the desired result and the vertebrae cannot be put in place. The technique is risky, so the chiropractor must be confident in the need for such influence.

During the session, the doctor mobilizes the spinal segment if vertebral displacement is detected. This is done very gently. They work not only with the lumbar, but also with other parts of the spine.

To achieve a positive effect, 10 to 15 sessions are required. You can repeat the manipulations no earlier than two weeks later. If necessary, you can visit a chiropractor after 1–1.5 months. To maintain the achieved treatment results, courses must be repeated 3-4 times a year.

After manual therapy for a lumbar hernia, bending forward should be avoided. If there is a need to take something, it is better to sit down. Thermal procedures, massage, physiotherapy, balneotherapy are contraindicated until the period of fibrotization of the intervertebral disc.

Contraindications for treatment

All contraindications are divided into absolute and relative. Manual therapy cannot be performed in the following conditions:

inflammatory processes in the spine, joints, spinal cord and spinal membranes;
oncological diseases;
fresh injuries and recent spinal surgeries;
disc sequestration;
myelopathy;
Bekhterev's disease;
acute cardiovascular, infectious diseases;
bleeding;
high pressure;
drinking alcohol.

Relative contraindications include:

decreased bone density - osteoporosis, which is often observed in people suffering from certain endocrine diseases, taking hormonal drugs (glucocorticoids) and in the elderly;
pathology of internal organs;
identification of osteophytes;
Forestier's disease;
vertebral developmental anomalies;
severe instability of the spinal segments;
exacerbation of osteochondrosis, although some chiropractors begin treatment during this period;
pregnancy.

Complications of manual therapy

During treatment, if manipulations are performed ineptly or without taking into account contraindications, severe complications may develop:

Damage to blood vessels, the spinal cord or its roots by a hernia or bone growth - osteophyte.
Ligament rupture.
The vertebrae may become even more unstable.

The spine is complex and requires careful handling. Therefore, a doctor practicing manual therapy must be highly qualified. Only such a specialist can you trust with your health.

In the treatment of many diseases, tablets, injections and droppers do not play a decisive role. Many effects can be achieved by influencing the lesion using physical methods.

Such diseases include intervertebral hernia. Intervertebral hernia is a protrusion of the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disc, resulting from injury or degenerative processes in the spine.

The lumbar spine takes on the maximum load when lifting heavy objects or jumping sharply. It is in the lumbar region that intervertebral hernia most often occurs, causing a lot of inconvenience to the patient.

The main complaints of patients with intervertebral hernia are sharp pain in the leg and lower back, and the inability to bend or turn.

Treatment for lumbar disc herniation includes drug therapy, but tablets and ointments alone are not enough to cause the hernia to dry out and disappear. Doctors resort to additional methods of influence - physiotherapy, physical therapy.

There is another method of successful treatment of intervertebral hernia - manual therapy.

What is manual therapy?

Manual therapy is a treatment technique in which, with the help of a specialist’s hands, the natural position of the patient’s musculoskeletal system is restored.

Manual therapy is the oldest method of treating the musculoskeletal system.

It all started with the use of rather brute force - due to the lack of sufficient medicine, people had to fix dislocations, fractures and curvatures on their own.

Those who did better became the first chiropractors. Over time, knowledge accumulated, new information appeared about the structure of the human body, and therapy reached a completely new level - now this treatment technology is effective and is used all over the world.

The main goal of a course of manual therapy is to restore the natural position of the bones and the muscular-ligamentous apparatus surrounding them.

A trained person, a chiropractor, gradually stretches the ligaments with his hands and changes the position of bones and joints, increasing the intervertebral distance, bringing the patient’s musculoskeletal system to a normal position.

The technique of manual therapy is very complex; without knowing all the subtleties, the patient can be seriously harmed. Chiropractors become certified doctors who have turned to a narrow specialization.

How effective is manual therapy for hernia?

In order to cure a hernia and eliminate its symptoms, a number of techniques have been developed, one of which is manual therapy.

Intervertebral hernia is always accompanied by spasm of the back muscles, compression of blood vessels and nerve processes.

Curvature of the spine is often observed. It is these factors that determine the symptoms of the disease.

A properly conducted course of manual therapy can relieve excess stress in the affected area, restore blood circulation in the muscles and structures of the spine, and reduce the pressure of the vertebrae on the damaged intervertebral disc.

X-ray monitoring before and after the course of therapy shows that after removing pressure on the intervertebral disc and restoring metabolism in the tissues, gradual drying of the intervertebral hernia is observed.

Arguments for and against manual therapy

Intervertebral hernia is the first item among the indications for manual therapy. Its effectiveness has been proven by many patients and doctors. But, like any method of treatment, manual therapy has its opponents who are able to argue their position.

Arguments for	Arguments against
1. Quick pain relief	1. The effect of treatment is almost impossible to maintain
2. Placing the spinal elements in a natural position	2. Some patients experience accelerated progression of the disease.
3. Reducing the load of the vertebral bodies on the intervertebral hernia	3. Many charlatans are engaged in this method of treatment and it is not always possible to understand who the patient has received
4. Possibility of reducing the amount of pharmaceutical drugs taken to treat pain – reducing the chemical load on the body	4. Force on a damaged intervertebral disc is unacceptable
5. Longevity of using the technique	-

Contraindications

There are a number of contraindications to conducting a course of manual therapy.

In order to avoid the negative consequences of treatment, the doctor is obliged to comprehensively examine the patient and collect a detailed history of his life.

If you ignore contraindications, the result can be disastrous: from an increase in intervertebral hernia, to rupture of the spinal cord and exacerbation of chronic diseases.

Manual therapy is contraindicated if the intervertebral hernia is of traumatic etiology - there is a spinal fracture or compression of the spinal cord. If the hernia forms a protrusion towards the spinal canal.

Chronic diseases for which treatment is contraindicated include circulatory and hematopoietic pathologies, cardiac or respiratory failure, mental illness, and cancer.

A temporary contraindication to the start of treatment is an increase in temperature as a result of a viral infection, infectious diseases of the spine, or the postoperative period.

The possibility of undergoing manual therapy treatment for a pregnant woman is decided individually; if possible, the start of treatment is postponed until the postpartum period.

In what cases is manual therapy prescribed?

Manual therapy for lumbar disc herniation is necessary in the following situations:

when bending or squatting, the patient experiences pain in the lumbar region;
for disturbances in the functioning of internal organs and blood vessels of the extremities (hemorrhoids, diarrhea, constipation, painful menstruation, varicose veins);
in the presence of muscle spasm around the intervertebral hernia;
in preparation for laminectomy - removal of intervertebral hernia.

Useful video:

Where do manual therapy sessions take place?

To conduct a treatment session, you need a room, a couch and a qualified manual therapist.

Sessions are carried out in private offices of chiropractors, orthopedic centers or in some clinics that have a specialist.

When choosing a place of treatment, it is better to choose a well-established institution that has all the necessary licenses. In the case of manual therapy, it is better to overpay for status than to fall into the hands of incompetent self-taught people who will do harm.

Price for the procedure

Prices for one manual therapy session can vary greatly depending on the center where the treatment is performed.

The cost range for one session in different cities is as follows::

City	Price
Moscow	400-850 rub.
Kyiv	250-500 UAH. (750-1500 rub.)
Minsk	75-200 rub.
Astana	2000-3000 tenge (400-600 rub.)

Manual therapy at home

Self-treatment with manual therapy techniques at home seems poorly possible. To competently perform the exercises, complex skills are required, which cannot be taught to relatives in a short time.

At home, it is possible to perform massage and self-massage, which is also a subsection of manual therapy. Even these points must be taken seriously, after consulting with your doctor.

If you have found a chiropractor who is willing to carry out treatment at the patient’s home, you will need to take care of the location of the treatment. The technique requires the presence of a special couch.

You can replace it with two tables of the same height, but this is not always possible. An alternative is to have the patient lie on the floor, but the doctor will have to work on his knees, which brings some discomfort.

The consequence of osteochondrosis and other factors that cause a hernia is the loss of elasticity of the disc and its ability to recover. Due to pressure from neighboring vertebrae, the disc cells begin to wear out, which can lead to cracks.

Excessive load gradually pushes the nucleus pulposus beyond the edge of the annulus fibrosus. After some time, the edge of the intervertebral disc goes beyond (protrusion).

Mechanism of action

Although manual therapy is recognized as an effective treatment for many diseases, there is still no universal description of a clear mechanism of its action. The effect of manual therapy on the human body can be described by its focus:

Peripheral action

The peripheral effect of the procedure occurs in soft tissues. A chiropractor works to restore normal blood circulation in muscle tissues, relieve tension from them, and establish normal blood circulation in cells.

This part of manual therapy is very important as it provides instant relief in the body, the patient begins to feel better, perhaps even feeling dizzy due to the strong blood flow to the brain.

It is worth noting that the relaxation of muscle tension also occurs due to interaction with the skeletal frame, and not just with soft tissues.
.

Types and principles of manual therapy

There are several types of manual therapy available now:

Arthro-vertebral. The effect is exerted on the necessary structural fragments of the musculoskeletal system.
Carnial. Specific movements aimed at certain points of the skull.
Cutaneous-myofascial. Palpation of an inflamed or problematic surface can have both a therapeutic and preparatory nature.
Visceral. Used for therapeutic effects on certain organs.
Defanotherapy. Use of traction and impulse movements.

To influence a tumor in the lumbar region, the latter method is often used. A specialist can influence the protrusion of herniated discs, significantly reducing the manifestation of inflammation. The chiropractor works with the bones, muscle and ligament segments, which significantly reduces the level of pain. After the procedure, the patient begins to develop correct posture and strengthens the muscular base of the torso.

READ ALSO: How does spinal osteochondrosis manifest itself l3, l4, l5, s1

How is a hernia treated?

Before deciding on the necessary technique, you should accurately find the location of the hernia. For this purpose, the patient is offered computed tomography or MRI services. Only after determining the affected area can you begin the procedure of getting rid of the symptoms of the disease or preventing complications.

Contraindications to manual therapy:

Since one of the effects after manual treatment is an increase in blood flow to a certain area, this aggravates the course of the oncological disease.

By increasing blood flow, the metabolism of nutrients in the body tissues is accelerated, which stimulates the growth and progression of the tumor. Also, oncological processes in the red bone marrow are very often hidden under the guise of a hematological disease, which helps explain their contraindications.

In the mechanism of development of inflammatory and infectious diseases, ailments with multiple joint lesions, the common link is the presence of an inflammatory process at different stages of these diseases.

The inflammatory process is accompanied by increased synthesis of inflammatory factors, the action of which is aimed at destroying cells at the site of damage, and their concentration is achieved by increasing blood flow.

After this type of therapy, there is a significant increase in local blood circulation, which can lead to increasing damage to both infected and unaltered cells.

After completing the full course, positive therapeutic effects are noted, the main of which are:

Treatment of intervertebral hernias using manual therapy techniques is effective when the hernia is combined with displacement of the intervertebral joints. Approximately seventy percent of patients have a similar combination.

It is these patients who can undergo from three to seven sessions of manual therapy (only gentle influence), combining it with post-isometric relaxation.

Many patients note a decrease in pain after the first session. Subsequent procedures are aimed at improving and consolidating the achieved position.

How to sign up for the procedure

Manual therapy is used to treat diseases of the musculoskeletal system. The average duration of the procedure is about half an hour; in some individual cases or on the recommendation of a specialist, the time can vary both more and less.

In order to achieve maximum effect, it is necessary to undergo a full course of manual therapy, which is prescribed individually for each individual case and depends on the severity and severity of the disease.

After completing a full course of manual therapy in our centers, the patient will feel much better. First of all, pain will go away, joint mobility will be restored, and the anatomical location of the vertebrae will return to normal.

In this case, the patient will be able to get rid of many unpleasant symptoms and pathologies, for example, headaches, intervertebral hernia in the cervical spine, etc. So if you decide that you need to do manual therapy in Moscow, call us, we work every day.

Prices for one manual therapy session can vary greatly depending on the center where the treatment is performed.

The cost range for one session in different cities is as follows:

City	Price
Moscow	400-850 rub.
Kyiv	250-500 UAH. (750-1500 rub.)
Minsk	75-200 rub.
Astana	2000-3000 tenge (400-600 rub.)

Possible complications

Any complications associated with manual therapy are a consequence of the specialist’s incompetence or his incomplete awareness of the patient’s condition. Therefore, it is important for the patient to take the preliminary examination as seriously as possible and give comprehensive answers to the doctor’s questions.

If you perform certain manual therapy techniques harshly and roughly, the following complications are possible:

Muscle or ligament rupture.
Vertebral fractures.
Acute circulatory disorder.

Manual therapy for hernia of the lumbar spine, as well as other areas, is often included in the therapy program. But it is important to carry out a course of procedures with a professional physician and be sure to take into account the indications and contraindications for physiotherapy.

What is the essence of the procedure

Manual therapy is often compared to massage treatments. This is a misconception, since spinal manual therapy includes several areas: reflexology, acupuncture, massage, and so on. By influencing certain areas of the body, an experienced master is able to normalize the functionality of organs, reduce symptoms and even eliminate the cause of the ailment.

If massage helps relax muscle tissue and ligaments, then osteopathy also affects the skeleton. Therefore, massage is only a small part of the manual intervention.

Thanks to this alternative treatment, the following positive results can be achieved:

Unlike drug therapy, alternative treatment allows you to reduce the hernia;
the effect on biologically active points improves the mobility of the spinal column;
manual therapy for a spinal hernia normalizes blood flow;
the effect on soft tissue accelerates metabolic processes, which helps the body quickly cleanse itself of toxins;
Osteopathy can release nerve roots from compression, which eliminates the painful syndrome.

When alternative treatment is prohibited

For some pathologies, a course of alternative therapy is strictly contraindicated, since the diseases can progress. Contraindications include:

oncology, since exposure to a tumor can lead to its aggressive growth;
inflammatory process, since as a result of alternative treatment it can become extensive and be accompanied by the formation of abscesses;
infections, since exposure to an infected area often provokes the spread of the process to nearby organs and tissues;
hypertension, since the procedures contribute to the expansion of the ducts of blood vessels, as a result of which a hypertensive crisis may occur.

Particular care should be taken when approaching physical therapy for a cervical hernia. Inept actions can provoke disruption of blood flow, which, in turn, will lead to oxygen starvation of the brain.

Patients often ask the question: how appropriate are the procedures, is it possible to correct a hernia with their help? An indication for alternative physiotherapy is a clear violation of the natural alignment of the vertebrae. In case of acute pain, the situation can often be corrected without resorting to manual therapy, using local anesthetics.

So that the chiropractor understands what problem he is dealing with, it is advisable to have an x-ray in 2 projections with him - this will help develop an individual physiotherapy program.

What techniques are used

Muscle-energy. As a result of the impact, displacement of the vertebrae is eliminated, muscle fibers become much more elastic, and blood flow is normalized. During the procedure, the master does not resort to dynamic and sudden movements, so therapy of the cervical spine is possible for patients of any age.
Pulse. Restores the position of the vertebrae relative to the vertical axis. Precise and fast sharp movements, pushing and tapping are used. This technique is considered the most risky, as it can lead to an acute painful attack. Nevertheless, it is she who is the most effective.
Mobilization. Involves slow, smooth movements that allow you to relax the muscle corset as much as possible. A measured rhythm eliminates the effect of surprise, in which the patient may experience an additional spasm of muscle tissue.
Postisometric relaxation. It is impossible to straighten the position of the vertebrae using this technique. Typically, relaxation is used to eliminate swelling and pain; it is often included in complex treatment and completes the course of manual therapy.
Musculofascial release. Allows you to restore the flexibility of the spinal column. The doctor’s movements are gentle and therefore do not cause discomfort.
Craniosacral. Refers to a comprehensive and most gentle method. The impact is carried out not only on the problem area, but also on the entire spinal column.

The specialist decides which method is best for treating a hernia between the vertebrae.

How effective are the procedures?

It is believed that after the first procedure there is a significant reduction in symptoms. Reviews from patients who have already completed a course of alternative physiotherapy show how effective it is:

there is no sharp pain when moving;
tissue swelling in problem areas disappears;
the size of the intervertebral hernia itself decreases;
blood circulation is normalized.

It is worth noting that it is impossible to cure the problem without the necessary education. Therefore, you should not use various osteopathic treatment techniques on your own. You can seriously worsen your own condition, since a hernia often provokes a change in tactile sensations. As a result, a person simply will not feel symptoms that will indicate deterioration in health due to incorrect actions.

The use of manual therapy for intervertebral hernia gives a good effect, but only when contacting a professional master.

Medicine today is not only medical services, but also science. And just when it seems that she has reached an unprecedented height, it turns out that she has a new, but essentially very old, time-tested competitor - manual therapy. She was born more than 5 thousand years ago and now manual therapy methods often cope with diseases that traditional medicine cannot cure.

What is manual therapy and a chiropractor?

The name manual therapy refers to the ability to heal with your hands. In fact, treatment occurs not only with the hands, but also with the feet, body, and using various instruments. Its goal: to combat pathologies, diseases, pain in muscles, ligaments, tendons, spine, joints associated with bone displacement.

A chiropractor, using refined techniques and methods, realigns the bones of the joints and spine. Often, the vertebra returned to its place ceases to put pressure on blood vessels and nerves, and as a result, the patient gets rid of other diseases of the internal organs. Moreover, the appearance of these diseases is often not associated with bone displacement.

Although many methods and techniques have passed through time, the person who owns them is not a traditional healer or healer. As a rule, he has a higher medical education in the specialty of orthopedist or neurologist, and then underwent additional training and certification. Only then is he a neurologist and chiropractor.

To become a good specialist, he needs retraining and new certification every 5 years. The most famous, popular chiropractors develop their own unique techniques, write articles and books. The doctor must be physically strong, a creative person, and read books by other doctors.

Special mention should be made about women at different stages of pregnancy. Previously, specialists carried out treatment up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Now new techniques have appeared, pregnant women go to appointments until the very birth. By the way, the appointment can be conducted by a doctor specially certified to work with expectant mothers at various stages of pregnancy.

Another group of patients are children, and the appointment may be performed by a doctor certified as a pediatric chiropractor.

Methods and techniques of influence

Special books indicate the following methods of influencing the body:

mobilization, getting rid of motor restrictions;
relaxation, the use of relaxation to reduce pain, prepare muscles for long-distance work;
stretching, help with scar formation, when working with shortened tendons and ligaments.
pressure, acupressure. Used to relieve pain;

The doctor can use hard or soft methods, but most specialists prefer soft ones.

You should know that choosing a chiropractor is a very responsible matter; manual medicine is not particularly widespread in Russia, so some chiropractors find it a profitable business. A sort of business on the spine and joints. It is better to turn to those who have a constant reception and positive reviews. The specialist not only performs medical procedures, he tries to make (clarify) the diagnosis himself based on the studies performed: ultrasound, x-ray and computed tomography.

As a rule, chiropractors consider physical therapy and massage to be separate medical areas, but they themselves constantly use them to obtain a therapeutic effect. For example, soft techniques developed by Vitaly Gitt or craniosacral therapy from America.

Micromovements

Chiropractors can work wonders. That's what many patients think, at least. The basics of the Gitt technique are simple and at the same time extremely effective, since they involve very small efforts - micro-movements. They have no contraindications (even during pregnancy) and will help cure diseases that many specialists do not undertake:

arthrosis in advanced stages;
abnormalities of bone tissue development;
immobile joints after fractures;
intervertebral hernia.

Vitaly Gitt considers the use of intense physical education harmful, knowing from experience that they often bring harm rather than benefit. Let's look at the example of the cervical spine.

All problems - headaches, dizziness, strokes and others - occur due to compaction (compression) and displacement of the cervical vertebrae.

Doctors recommend making rotational movements and stretching your neck in different directions. Whenever you tilt your head, one part of the neck actually stretches, but the other part contracts. The result of rotations and tilts of the head is an even greater compaction of the intervertebral space.

Therefore, Vitaly Gitt proposed movements that were very small in amplitude:

you should sit up straight and place your hands on your knees;
tilt your head no more than 20°;
nod forward in agreement. The amplitude can be traced by the movement of the tip of the nose; it should move no more than 1-2 cm. Exercise time - 2 minutes;
a short break of about 30 minutes;
movements to the sides - denying (no, no). The amplitude of movement and time are the same.

Patients should feel their muscles relax. Exercises help increase the thickness of the intervertebral cartilage by supplying it with moisture. Vitaly Gitt notes that treatment can be achieved by applying special principles: from simple to complex, from light to intense.

Vibrating couches

Another technique for relaxation and micro-movements without effort is the use of special vibrating couches, which the talented specialist Vitaly Gitt himself developed. Vibration corresponds to human physiology and is variable in nature. The following therapeutic effect was revealed in improving blood supply and tissue nutrition. Tight muscles are also relaxed, weak ones are strengthened, and cartilage tissue is restored. Blood sugar levels decrease, body fat decreases, and the functioning of internal organs improves.

for interdisc hernia, kyphosis, scoliosis, lordosis;
arthrosis, arthritis;
diabetes mellitus (type II);
varicose veins;
obesity.

Contraindications: various stages of pregnancy, serious diseases and complications of the cardiovascular system, type I diabetes, acute inflammation, artificial implantation, epilepsy, oncology. Gitt also does not recommend treating an acute hernia.

Anyone who is interested in treatment methods can read the books Mechanical Assistants to a Chiropractor, To Help a Beginning Chiropractor, Treatment of Arthrosis, Healthy Spine and others.

Craniosacral therapy

First you need to understand what the craniosacral system is. The word cranium means skull, sacrum means sacrum, that is, it represents the spine, skull and central nervous system. The basis of activity is the movement of cerebrospinal fluid, which transmits impulses from the brain and activates all vital processes in the body.

The craniosacral system has points at which rhythmic pulsation has been identified: mobile cranial sutures. Craniosacral therapy can feel like a gentle massage. An appointment with a therapist begins with the determination of craniosacral pulsation. In accordance with this rhythm, vibrations and stroking begin in certain places.

Craniosacral therapy activates all processes of the body, as a result of which the body itself identifies problems in the functioning of all systems and finds methods to correct the situation. Expectant mothers can come to see specialists at any stage of pregnancy. Craniosacral therapy helps the fetus to develop correctly and change its position.

In conclusion, we note that you should definitely try manual therapy on yourself. Even if nothing hurts, and especially if it doesn’t hurt. It is better to treat problems while they are small, when they have not grown into a hernia or arthrosis. We can only hope that the services will not be so expensive and there will be much more competent specialists.

-->