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Chiropractic vs Exercise?

Explore the key differences between chiropractic care and exercise for health and wellness. Learn how they complement each other to improve alignment, fitness, and pain management.

Chiropractic adjustment in Singapore
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Deciding between chiropractic care and exercise for health & wellness

Choosing between chiropractic care and exercise can be a key decision in your journey to better health.

Both offer unique benefits—chiropractic care focuses on alignment and pain relief, while exercise strengthens the body and improves overall fitness.

Understanding how they complement each other can help you create a balanced approach to wellness

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What is chiropractic care?​​

Chiropractic care focuses on maintaining spinal alignment and nervous system health. Chiropractors use targeted adjustments to correct subluxations (spinal misalignments), which can cause pain, discomfort, and hinder the body’s natural ability to heal. By addressing the root cause of pain, chiropractic care helps improve mobility, reduce discomfort, and support overall wellness. It’s a holistic approach that doesn’t just treat symptoms, but works to restore balance in the body.

Learn more about chiropractic care here.

man and woman exercising on treadmill

What is exercise?

Exercise is any physical activity that helps improve or maintain fitness and health. It boosts your heart rate, strengthens muscles, and supports overall well-being. Whether you’re aiming to manage weight, increase endurance, or reduce the risk of chronic diseases, regular exercise is key. The right mix of different types of exercise helps ensure a well-rounded routine for long-term health.

how exercise impacts your health and wellness

Benefits of exercise

Regular exercise offers a wide range of benefits for both your physical and mental well-being. Whether you’re just starting out or have an established fitness routine, incorporating exercise into your lifestyle can significantly improve your quality of life.

Here’s a look at the key benefits:

Exercise, especially aerobic activities like running, swimming, or cycling, strengthens the heart and lungs. This helps lower blood pressure, improve circulation, and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Regular exercise also helps manage cholesterol levels, keeping your heart in optimal condition.

Strength training and resistance exercises, such as weightlifting or bodyweight exercises, build and tone muscles. Strong muscles support joint stability, enhance posture, and make everyday activities easier. Over time, exercise also increases your stamina, allowing you to perform physical tasks with less fatigue.

Exercise is essential for weight management, as it helps burn calories and boost metabolism. Combined with a healthy diet, regular physical activity can help you lose excess weight or maintain a healthy weight, reducing the risk of obesity-related conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

Flexibility exercises, such as yoga or stretching routines, increase your range of motion and improve joint flexibility. This reduces the risk of injuries, especially as you age, and promotes better posture. Improved flexibility also makes everyday movements smoother and less painful.

Exercise is a powerful tool for managing stress, anxiety, and depression. Physical activity triggers the release of endorphins, often called “feel-good” hormones, which boost mood and alleviate feelings of anxiety. Regular exercise can also improve sleep quality, sharpen cognitive function, and increase energy levels.

Weight-bearing exercises like walking, jogging, or resistance training help increase bone density and strengthen bones. This is particularly important for preventing osteoporosis and fractures as you age.

Regular exercise has been shown to strengthen the immune system, helping your body fight off illnesses more effectively. Moderate physical activity promotes better circulation of immune cells, improving your body’s ability to defend against infections.

Physical activity stimulates the digestive system, which helps prevent constipation and other gastrointestinal issues. Regular exercise can improve gut health, ensuring more efficient nutrient absorption.

Exercising regularly improves sleep quality by helping you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Physical activity also helps regulate the body’s circadian rhythm, making it easier to maintain a consistent sleep schedule.

Types of exercise

Exercise can be broken down into different categories, each focusing on a specific aspect of physical fitness. These include aerobic exercise for endurance, anaerobic exercise for strength, flexibility training to improve mobility, and balance exercises to enhance stability. Each type offers unique benefits that contribute to your overall well-being.

Understanding the types of exercise helps you choose the right activities that suit your goals, whether it’s building strength, improving flexibility, or improving cardiovascular health. Here’s a quick breakdown of the main types:

What are some exercise tools that can help with your fitness?

Incorporating fitness tools into your routine can make exercising more effective and enjoyable. Tools such as exercise bicycles, resistance bands, exercise balls, and outdoor fitness corners provide different ways to strengthen your muscles, improve flexibility, and boost cardiovascular health.

Exercise bicycles

Ideal for low-impact cardiovascular workouts that are easy on your joints but still effective for improving endurance.

Exercise bands

Resistance bands provide an excellent way to increase strength and flexibility, making them a versatile tool for all fitness levels.

Exercise balls

These are great for improving balance, core stability, and flexibility, helping to maintain proper spinal alignment.

Fitness corners

Outdoor fitness corners across Singapore provide equipment for strength training, flexibility, and balance exercises. They offer a great way to engage in physical activity while enjoying fresh air.

Exercises for pain management

Specific exercises can help alleviate pain by strengthening muscles, improving flexibility, and enhancing posture. Exercises targeting areas such as the back, neck, shoulders, and knees are particularly effective for managing pain. Chiropractic care complements these exercises by addressing misalignments and reducing pain, helping you achieve long-term relief.

For individuals dealing with pain, certain exercises can make a significant difference by targeting the affected areas and promoting recovery. Some of the most effective pain management exercises include:

Back pain

Gentle stretches, core-strengthening exercises, and low-impact aerobic activities help relieve tension in the back and improve posture.

Learn more about spinal decompression for back pain relief

Neck pain

Neck stretches and exercises that strengthen the muscles supporting the neck help reduce stiffness and pain in this area.

Shoulder pain

Exercises that target the shoulder joints and surrounding muscles, such as shoulder rolls, wall angels, and resistance band workouts, help improve mobility and relieve pain.

Knee pain

Low-impact exercises like swimming, cycling, or specific strengthening movements like squats and lunges help reduce pressure on the knees and alleviate discomfort.

What's the downside?

Understanding the potential side effects of improper exercise

Exercise is essential for maintaining health and wellness, but when done incorrectly, it can lead to unwanted side effects. Poor form, overexertion, or skipping warm-ups can cause muscle strains, joint pain, or even injuries. Here are some common side effects of improper exercise:

woman suffering sports injury and wearing a knee guard
Ankle pain duringrunning

Muscle strains and sprains

  • Overstretching or incorrect technique can cause strains, leading to discomfort, swelling, and limited mobility.
  • Sudden, forced movements or improper alignment can cause microscopic tears in muscle fibres or overstretch ligaments.
  • Proper form and adequate warm-ups can help prevent these common exercise-related injuries.

Joint pain

  • Misalignment during exercise can place undue stress on joints like the knees, shoulders, and lower back.
  • Poor posture, weak muscles, and insufficient warm-ups increase the risk of joint pain.
  • Over time, this can lead to conditions like tendinitis or arthritis if not properly managed.

Injury risk

  • Using excessive weight or repetitive movements without guidance increases the risk of serious injuries like ligament tears, fractures, or muscle damage.
  • Overloading the body without proper training or supervision can lead to long recovery times and even long-term mobility issues.
  • Gradual progression, rest, and personalised instruction are essential to minimise injury risks.

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)

  • DOMS occurs after intense or unfamiliar exercises, peaking 24 to 72 hours post-workout due to tiny muscle tears.
  • While it signals muscle adaptation, DOMS can cause significant discomfort and discourage further exercise.
  • Gentle stretching, proper recovery, and gradual intensity increases can reduce the impact of DOMS.

Imbalances and postural issues

  • Focusing on certain muscle groups while neglecting others can create muscular imbalances.
  • These imbalances can lead to poor posture, like rounded shoulders, contributing to chronic pain and misalignments.
  • Corrective exercises and chiropractic adjustments can help maintain balanced muscles and proper posture.

Preventing improper exercise with personalised plans from our chiropractors

To help you avoid these issues, our chiropractors at Chiropractic Singapore offer personalised, guided stretch and exercise plans for patients under our care.

These plans are tailored to your needs and ensure you’re performing exercises correctly, reducing the risk of injury while maximizing health benefits.

This way, you can be confident that you’re following the right steps to support your wellness journey.

Learn more about exercise and sports injuries here.

Chiropractic care for pain management in relation to exercise

Chiropractic care plays a crucial role in managing pain related to exercise by addressing misalignments, enhancing mobility, and relieving muscle strain.

By ensuring your spine and joints are properly aligned, chiropractic adjustments help prevent injuries and improve your overall exercise performance, allowing you to maintain an active and pain-free lifestyle.

Whether you’re just starting your fitness journey or are an experienced athlete, chiropractic care provides essential support for pain management, ensuring you can exercise without discomfort and maintain a healthy, active lifestyle.

Here’s how chiropractic care can support your pain management efforts in relation to exercise:

Exercise, especially when done with improper form or under physical strain, can lead to misalignments in the spine or joints, commonly known as subluxations. These misalignments can cause pain, restrict movement, and lead to chronic discomfort. Chiropractic adjustments correct these misalignments, allowing your body to function optimally and reducing pain.

By keeping your spine and joints in proper alignment, chiropractic care reduces the risk of injuries during exercise. When your body is aligned, muscles, ligaments, and tendons work together more efficiently, allowing you to perform exercises with better form and reducing the likelihood of strains or sprains.

Regular chiropractic adjustments can enhance your range of motion, making it easier to perform exercises and achieve optimal results. Improved mobility also allows you to engage in a wider variety of exercises, from aerobic to strength training, without putting unnecessary stress on your body.

Learn more about stretches to relieve pain and enhance flexibility here.

After a workout, your body undergoes a healing process to repair muscles and tissues. Chiropractic care speeds up this recovery by improving circulation and reducing inflammation, helping your body recover faster and more efficiently. This means less downtime between workouts and a reduced risk of long-term pain.

For individuals who experience chronic pain, such as back, neck, or joint pain, chiropractic care offers a non-invasive, drug-free approach to pain management. When combined with a tailored exercise routine, chiropractic adjustments can help reduce pain, increase mobility, and improve overall quality of life.

Understanding the key differences between chiropractic care & exercise

Alignment vs strengthening:

  • Chiropractic care: aims to correct spinal and joint misalignments, improving body alignment and relieving pain.
  • Exercise: focused on strengthening muscles, improving flexibility, and boosting cardiovascular health to enhance physical performance.

Nervous system vs. muscular system:

  • Chiropractic care: primarily addresses the nervous system, ensuring proper communication between the brain and body by realigning the spine and joints.
  • Exercise: primarily targets the muscular system, working to build muscle strength, improve flexibility, and support overall physical health.

Manual adjustment vs. active movement

  • Chiropractic care: involves manual adjustments by a trained chiropractor to correct misalignments and improve mobility.
  • Exercise: based on active movement, where individuals engage in physical activities like aerobic exercises or strength training to maintain fitness and wellness.

Immediate relief vs. gradual conditioning

  • Chiropractic care: provides immediate relief, addressing misalignments that cause pain and leading to instant improvements in posture and mobility.
  • Exercise: leads to gradual conditioning, where consistent effort over time is needed to build strength, improve endurance, and enhance overall health.

Expert-guided care vs. self-directed or trainer-guided activity

  • Chiropractic care: an expert-guided approach, where a professional chiropractor applies precise adjustments to restore alignment and support the body’s natural healing.
  • Exercise can be self-directed or trainer-guided, with individuals choosing to work out independently or under the guidance of a personal trainer for tailored routines that enhance physical capabilities.

CHIROPRACTIC CARE FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT

How does exercise supplement your chiropractic care?

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Exercise complements chiropractic care by strengthening muscles, improving flexibility, and supporting the alignment achieved through chiropractic adjustments. Together, they help prevent injuries, speed up recovery, and enhance overall well-being.

Strengthening muscles to support alignment

Chiropractic care ensures your spine and joints are properly aligned, but strong muscles are essential to maintaining this alignment. Regular exercise, particularly strength training, builds muscle around your spine and joints, providing the stability needed to keep everything in place. This reduces strain on your body, helping to prevent future misalignments.

Improving flexibility for better movement

Flexibility exercises, such as stretching or yoga, enhance your range of motion, allowing your joints to move more freely. Improved flexibility not only supports chiropractic care by reducing stiffness but also makes it easier to perform daily activities and exercises with proper form, preventing injuries and promoting efficient movement.

Preventing injuries and imbalances

Exercise helps prevent imbalances that could lead to injury, especially when combined with chiropractic care. By engaging in targeted exercises that strengthen key muscle groups, you reduce the likelihood of overuse injuries and strains that can arise from poor posture or misalignment. Chiropractic care ensures your body is aligned, and exercise reinforces this by keeping your muscles balanced and strong.

Enhancing recovery after adjustments

After a chiropractic adjustment, your body needs time to adapt and stabilise. Gentle exercises, such as light stretching or low-impact aerobic activities, can enhance circulation and reduce inflammation, speeding up recovery. This allows your body to heal faster and makes chiropractic adjustments more effective over time.

Supporting long-term wellness

Exercise, in combination with chiropractic care, promotes long-term health and well-being. Regular physical activity helps maintain the benefits of chiropractic adjustments, reducing the risk of future pain or misalignment. By keeping your muscles strong, your joints flexible, and your body in motion, exercise ensures that chiropractic care has a lasting positive impact on your overall health.

QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE BEFORE STARTING CHIROPRACTIC CARE

What is the process of seeing a chiropractor?

If it’s your first time visiting a chiropractor, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you understand the process:

Chiropractor answers frequently asked questions at Chiropractic SingaporeAs you arrive at our centre, expect minimal wait times, typically just enough to complete your initial paperwork. This paperwork is essential for our health partners and your attending chiropractor to gain insight into your health history and current needs. We recommend arriving 10 minutes before your appointment to complete this paperwork.

The initial consultation, lasting approximately 20 minutes, is a crucial phase in your chiropractic journey. During this comprehensive spinal check-up, your chiropractor will focus on understanding your condition and concerns.

They will explain the causes of joint dysfunction, the role of chiropractic adjustments, and the numerous benefits chiropractic care can provide. If you’ve never had your spine assessed before, this is the perfect opportunity to have your questions answered by the chiropractor. Following this, a series of tests will be conducted to gain a holistic understanding of your spinal health.

Spinal Examination for Chiropractic careYour chiropractor will perform a physical examination and palpation of your spine. Our friendly health partners will then conduct additional spinal examinations, including:

  • A visual posture assessment
  • Posture photo analysis
  • Bilateral weight distribution assessment
  • Computerised spinal range of motion measurement
  • Surface electromyography scan
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Spinal x-ray for Chiropractic careBased on the initial consultation and examinations, our chiropractors may recommend spinal X-rays to assess the severity and degree of degeneration in your spine. This step is crucial for your safety and ensures that the chiropractor has a comprehensive understanding of your condition.

Report of findings in CHiropractic careAfter your X-rays have been taken, you’ll return for a second consultation with the chiropractor to review the results of your tests and X-rays. This session typically lasts about 45 minutes and includes a discussion of whether chiropractic care can offer relief for your condition or if other specialists should be considered.

If chiropractic care is recommended, the chiropractor will perform adjustments during this session and provide their personalised recommendation for your condition.

managing neck pain from pillow with chiropractic singaporeOur chiropractic spinal check-up is exclusively focused on assessment and does not include adjustments. We are dedicated to providing personalised care, understanding that not everyone is suited for adjustments. By omitting adjustments from our check-ups, we prioritise your well-being, ensuring you only pay for services tailored to your needs and avoiding charges for services that may not be safe or necessary for you.

If adjustments are recommended based on the assessment results, they are discussed and scheduled separately after the check-up. This approach allows you to make informed decisions about your care, ensuring a customised and effective chiropractic experience.

If you opt for regular adjustments, our team will work with you to create a schedule for weekly or monthly visits, kickstarting your pain relief journey. Your journey to wellness begins here!

WHAT TO EXPECT

Your first chiropractic check-up

1. Consultation with the Chiropractor
The Chiropractor will use your history intake form to understand your pain points, clinical history, and your health goals.

We will use this to discuss the pain and injuries that you are experiencing.
2. Comprehensive Spinal Examination
To get an in-depth understanding of your condition, we utilise a comprehensive series of 6 different tests to evaluate the health and alignment of your spine.

This helps us gain a holistic understanding of your condition.
3. Spinal X-rays
(if required)
In many cases, spinal X-rays are critical in confirming an accurate diagnosis. They tell us how severe the possible misalignments are, and if there are any complicating factors present.

We work with off-site radiology partners to take your X-rays, and this will be done between your first and second session.
4. Your Spinal Health Report
After your initial check-up, we will schedule you for your follow-up consultation with the Chiropractor to go through results of the check-up.

At this appointment, we will explain to you the findings, your suitability for chiropractic care, and our best recommendations on any action that needs to be taken.

FAQs

Yes, but the primary energy source in anaerobic exercise is stored carbohydrates. However, the increased metabolism from intense anaerobic activity can aid fat burning during recovery.

Yes, weight loss is possible through dietary changes alone, but exercise helps maintain muscle mass, improve metabolism, and promote long-term health benefits, making it an ideal complement to any weight-loss plan.

To ease muscle soreness, try gentle stretching, applying heat or cold therapy, and staying hydrated. Chiropractic care can also help by relieving tension and improving muscle recovery.

Encourage activities they enjoy, start with light, low-impact exercises like walking or swimming, and emphasize the benefits, such as improved mobility and reduced pain. Gentle chiropractic care can also help enhance their physical comfort and mobility.