Key Assessment Areas Chiropractors Look at During Examination
Posted on: 24 June 2021
When you are involved in a minor accident and don't notice any injuries, the chances that you will seek medical attention are low. The reason is that most people have to feel some level of pain or discomfort to book an appointment with a physician. Sadly, the behaviour exposes you to serious complications, which you can avoid. Ideally, the first person you should see is a general chiropractor. The professional will immediately conduct tests to determine whether you have issues in your musculoskeletal system. The orthopedic and neurological tests assess the following areas.
Range of Motion of Affected Part
The first thing chiropractors look at during chiropractic tests is a patient's range of motion on affected areas. For instance, when you are involved in a car accident but had your seat belt on, a chiropractor will inspect the neck's range of motion. The reason is that jerking movements in accidents can cause whiplash injury on the neck or back muscles. Consequently, it can affect your neck's range of motion even if you do not know it. Therefore, the orthopedic tests that chiropractors conduct assess how far a patient's joints or muscles can go without external assistance. A limited range of motion on the affected area indicates possible injury and warrants further examination.
Muscle Tone and Strength
Weak and poorly defined muscles do a lousy job supporting joints and ligaments. Consequently, it affects the body's form even during normal body activities, such as walking and sitting. It is the reason chiropractors conduct muscle testing, a useful diagnostic tool for uncovering potential injury. For instance, proprioceptive muscle testing is a fast and effective method for examining and determines a patient's degree of muscle weakness. In fact, chiropractors prefer the test because it helps them understand why some patients suffer from recurrent back pains, neck pain, fatigue and muscle weakness. For example, a chiropractor might ask you to perform squats with a specific weight and carefully observe how primary and secondary muscles react. Any struggles indicate a muscle or joint problem, which requires immediate chiropractic care.
Neurological Integrity
When most patients think about chiropractic care, nerves are the last thing that comes to mind. It can be attributed to the misconception that chiropractic care is only about the functioning and condition of the spine and related muscles and joints. However, chiropractors understand that a patient's wellbeing depends on the proper health and functioning of the nerves. Thus, your chiropractor must examine the neurological integrity of the affected area. For instance, a misaligned vertebra can cause nerve swelling and irritation, affecting the functioning of the body part where the irritated nerve leads. When assessing the neurological integrity of muscles and joints, a chiropractor will perform reflex sensory testing.
Contact a general chiropractor to learn more about these assessments.
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