As with any specialized area, whether it’s a sport or a health care field like chiropractic, there is a lexicon that develops. When you’re visiting your chiropractor, you shouldn’t hesitate to ask about any words or phrases you hear with which you are not familiar. Here are some terms you might hear:

The shoulder is the third most commonly treated part of the body for chiropractors (after the lower back and the neck). As with any part of the body, the shoulder can become painful as a result of wear and tear over time, or as the result of a trauma, like a car accident or a fall. Shoulder pain often begins in the cervical spine, the upper portion of the spine. The nerves that control the hands, arms and shoulders pass through that section of the spine.

Nearly 40% of older adults currently use at least one integrative medicine strategy to try to ease symptoms of a physical or mental health issue, or to help them relax, a new poll finds.

Chiropractors are licensed professionals with doctorate degrees who use a hands-on approach to ease pain and inflammation by manipulating parts of your body.

The philosophy behind chiropractic care is that your body can heal itself with interventions performed by a chiropractor.

Chiropractic care, like physical therapy, doesn’t involve taking medications or undergoing surgery. You may want to try chiropractic care before undergoing more invasive treatments.

Unfortunately, many of the medications that are prescribed for pain management can cause further damage to the body and become addictive if misused. Popular medications like oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, and more can, in turn, cause a user dependence and eventual tolerance to the drug — meaning chronic pain is still present. A recent review study has found the following:

Spine-related pain is increasingly common in older adults. while medications play an important role in pain management, their use has limitations in geriatric patients due to reduced liver and kidney function, comorbid medical problems and polypharmacy (the simultaneous use of multiple drugs to treat medical conditions).

Examining the spines of Neanderthals, an extinct human relative, may explain back-related ailments experienced by humans today, a team of anthropologists has concluded in a new comparative study.

Neanderthals have long been thought to have a different posture than modern humans. A good part of this perspective derives from the wedging of Neanderthals’ lumbar, or lower, vertebrae — their spines in this region curve less than those of modern humans studied in the U.S. or Europe.

A new study suggests that a combination of physiotherapy alongside psychological interventions can be effective for improving physical function and pain intensity — findings that can help improve the clarity of guideline recommendations to better support patients and clinicians in treatment decision making.

Adults with chronic low back pain (lasting for more than 12 weeks) not only experience physical disability but can also suffer psychological distress in the form of anxiety, depression and fear avoidance (avoiding movement for fear of pain).

A person’s head is one of the most vulnerable parts of the body that can be injured during an auto accident. Symptoms of a head injury may be subtle. Headaches and dizziness after an auto accident can be signs of a more serious head injury. Headaches have been known to mentally and emotionally disrupt a person’s life, and dizziness can turn normal activities into fairly difficult tasks.

Chiropractors can help counteract the stress you face in daily life. Whether you spend long hours driving or you work an office job, stress can manifest in many ways that lead to headache pain. Chiropractors can also give you tips on posture, exercises, and relaxation techniques. Evaluating all possible causes of your headache pain helps us address the pain more effectively.