People with thoracic facet irritation respond particularly well to
chiropractic care. Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), trigger point therapy,
muscular release technique and physiotherapeutic devices are all types of care
that your chiropractor may use. These methods of care not only address pain, but
also ensure that the spine and the surrounding muscles are healthy and
functioning properly.
SMT, also called an adjustment, can correct subluxations in your spinal
joints, enabling them to function properly. To perform this technique, your
chiropractor will use his or her hands or a device called an activator to
restore joints to their normal position and keep them moving within their normal
range of motion. This will ease pain, relax muscles, decrease inflammation and
improve function and movement.
If your chiropractor feels that tight muscles are impairing the facet joints'
function, he or she may also use trigger point therapy. Trigger point therapy
works by returning tight muscles to their natural state. If your chiropractor
uses this type of care, he or she will target muscle tissue that is in
contracture, which is a state of excessive shortening that makes parts of
muscles feel like taut bands or nodules. By applying pressure to these areas for
about 10 seconds, your chiropractor can return the muscle tissue to its
appropriate length and remove irritating waste products, which helps decrease
pain and relieve tension.
To further promote muscle health, your chiropractor may use muscular release
technique to facilitate the growth of healthy tissue. Patients with thoracic
facet irritation often have weak, strained muscles. To compensate, the body lays
down new tissue to help them remain functional. This new tissue is scar tissue,
however, and usually doesn't have the same properties as healthy muscle tissue.
Over time, the presence of scar tissue can weaken muscles, which can lead to
pain and dysfunction. By sliding his or her hands along the surface of weak
muscles, your chiropractor can strip away scar tissue, allowing healthy tissue
to grow in its place.
To further promote muscle health and relieve any muscle strain in your upper
and middle back, your chiropractor may also care for you with physiotherapeutic
tools like ultrasound and interferential current (IFC). Ultrasound refers to any
sound wave that has a frequency above the range the human ear can perceive. To
produce these waves, chiropractors use a machine that channels electricity
through a crystal located at the end of an applicator. The crystal vibrates in
response to electricity, and the machine allows users to alter the electrical
current to affect the waves' frequency. Depending on the frequency, this can
increase blood flow, decrease pain, reduce muscle spasm, lessen nerve root
irritation, break down scar tissue and speed healing.
IFC works in a similar way, but instead of sound waves, it sends an
electrical current through the body. IFC machines work by sending these painless
waves through the skin into nerve fibers below, which causes the body to produce
endorphins, its natural painkillers. By aiming the impulses at the thoracic
spine, your chiropractor can cause endorphins to interrupt the flow of pain
signals from affected tissues to the brain, decrease inflammation and facilitate
healing.
Your chiropractor may also recommend you make changes in your postural and
sleeping habits. Postural habits, such as the way you sit, can affect the curve
of your thoracic spine. If you sit at a desk all day, certain positions can put
strain on your back and other positions can promote your back's health. Keeping
your chin tucked in and holding your shoulders back, for example, will help
ensure your spine is strong and healthy. In addition, supporting your shoulders
with a high-back chair and keeping your feet flat on the floor will help
decrease your risk of thoracic facet irritation.
Good sleeping habits, such as sleeping on your back or your side, can also
make a difference. Poor sleeping habits can irritate the cervical or lumbar
spine, which can lead to secondary irritations in the thoracic spine. Try to
avoid sleeping on your stomach and instead sleep on your side with a pillow
between your knees, or on your back with a pillow under your knees. The pillow
forces your body into a position that maintains the proper curvature of your
spine.
To ensure your thoracic facet irritation doesn't return, your chiropractor
may also suggest a number of strengthening, stretching and postural exercises.
By strengthening weak muscles in your mid back, you can eliminate muscle
imbalances that can cause one muscle group to tug on the facet joints and cause
a misalignment. Stretching and postural exercises also help to maintain maximum
muscle efficiency in the thoracic region, which promotes proper joint function
and movement.
If the symptoms of thoracic irritation flare up, your chiropractor may also
recommend that you use a cold application. During the first 24 to 72 hours of
the condition's development, a cold application, like an ice pack, can reduce
swelling and pain in the irritated joint. Cold applications work by constricting
blood vessels, numbing pain receptors in the skin and decreasing blood flow to
the affected area. By constricting blood vessels and decreasing blood flow, they
help reduce the release of painful inflammatory chemicals.
While all these methods of care can help, you should still avoid any activity
that can exacerbate symptoms. Even when you don't feel pain, a slight twisting
of the mid back can trigger irritation all over again. So before attempting any
activity involving your back, be sure to speak with your
chiropractor.
