A chronic cough can be difficult to deal with, either alone or as a family. Sometimes a cough is caused by allergies, other times it’s from poor air circulation, and always can be due to cancer.
A cough can be painful and last for hours at a time. As it progresses, it may become more frequent and/or more severe!
Chronic coughing is common, both in the general population and in those with medical conditions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between midnight and 6 am, about 25% of people are coughing heavily enough to deserve being diagnosed with coughing syndrome.
The term chronic cough syndrome (CCS) was recently added to the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as an official diagnosis. This adds even more importance to this condition as it becomes even harder to treat, as new symptoms are added on top of the already existing ones.
Contents:
Causes of chronic cough
A cough is probably the most obvious cause of pain and discomfort when you are exposed to something harmful, such as smoke or exposure to cough medicine.
Chronic cough can be hard to diagnose. You may not know if you have a cough because of asthma, allergies, or asthma because of damage to your breathing system.
As with many things in life, there are more than one coughing remedy. Luckily, there are many ways for you to protect yourself from coughing remedies that may not be good for you.
This article will talk about ways that chiropractic can help people with chronic coughing. This article will also talk about ways that chiropractic can help people with chronic allergies and asthma.
There are many ways that chiropractic can help people with chronic health issues, including digestive issues, pain and inflammation issues, anxiety and stress-related issues, and fatigue issues. This article will focus on the former two categories.
Treatment for chronic cough
Though there are many things you can do to help your cough, you should be aware of the possible complications. These include:
Consuming large amounts of sugar or saltine crackers or breads when coughing. This may help mask the taste of your coughs.
Using a air purifier in your home to reduce the amount of dust and bacteria in your environment. This may help reduce any infections that may cause coughs.
Using a humidifier if needed. Coughing is mostly moisture going missing while fighting the cough. Using something as simple as a water bottle can also be helpful!
Using a vaporizer to treat asthma or dry cough symptoms. These treatments may prove helpful if other treatments fail.
Should I see a chiropractor for my chronic cough?
While most people think of cough medicine when they hear a chiropractor, it is possible to help your cough with massage and manipulation techniques.
Chiropractic treatment can help treat pain and reduce coughing spells. It also can reduce coughing due to shoulder & neck pain, which can in turn stop coughing.
Should you see a chiropractor for your chronic cough? The answer to this question depends on how severe your cough is and whether or not massage or manipulation therapy helps.
If the only thing that helped was a trip to the chiropractor, then maybe! But there are other ways to help with your cough that are non-chiropatic in nature. Read on for more information about how and when to see a chiropractor for your cough.
What will the chiropractor do?
During a chiropractic treatment, the chiropractor uses manual techniques to adjust the vertebrae in your spine. This work can involve removing part of a muscle, cutting off a nerve, or changing the alignment of several bones.
He or she can do this by using a chiropractic care table or chair. The patient lies on their front with their legs extended and knees together. The doctor stands behind the patient with one hand on the patient’s back and the other on the patient’s knee.
The doctor rotates the bones at the spine until they change shape. He or she then fixes that new position by grinding away some of the old material with a tiny bit of new material. This process takes a few minutes, so stay patient!
After he or she has worked enough on one area, the doctor can move onto another part of his body.
How long will treatment take?
After a chiropractor-integrated cough treatment, the patient’s cough will last between two and four weeks. During this time, the patient should continue to take their cough medication as recommended by the drug label.
It is important to remember that after treatment, your doctor will evaluate your health and determine if you need to take additional medications. Your doctor may suggest other cough treatments like antiviral or over-the-counter remedies.
Many people find chiropractic care helps again soon after treatment is over. Others report a longer term improvement in their coughs and increased mobility after just a few visits.
Can I take medicine with the chiropractic treatment?
Most of the time, chiropractic medicine can help with coughs. However, there are some conditions that require a different approach.
Many times, treating a cough with a chiropractic treatment can backfire and cause even more coughing. This happens because the body is still suffering from the coughing due to the medicine, or because of the pain from the cough.
This can sometimes be corrected with medication, but not always. As stated before, more often than not, chiropractic medicine is the perfect choice for fighting frequent coughs.
As stated earlier in this article, could use caution when using medicines with young children as they may have limited understanding of what’s good for them.
Does insurance cover chiropractic care?
Chiropractic care can be covered by most insurance companies. Some don’t, but chances are you will need to go to a chiropractor for relief anyway.
If you have a Medicare card, you can get reimbursed for chiropractic care through the Veterans Administration. And if you have Medicaid, then the health department will reimburse you at a reduced rate.
As with most medical treatments, be sure to talk to your doctor about any concerns before starting chiropractic care. Also, make sure to keep your regular doctor informed if anything changes with your health or symptoms.
More info: Visit the website of The National Chiropractic Association for more information on how this treatment helps people with chronic conditions such as asthma and arthritis.
Is there any downside to seeing a chiropractor?
Not only can a chiropractor help manage chronic coughs and colds, they can also help prevent them!
Chiropractic care can reduce the frequency and severity of coughs and colds. According to a study published in the Journal of Rheumatology,chiropractic care can reduce the frequency and severity of coughing spells by up to 20%.
This is due to the compression effect that chiropractic therapy has on your spine. When your spine is compressed, it reduces blood flow which in turn reduces production of coughing uphales.
As we mentioned earlier, massage therapy can also have an impact on coughing patterns, so if you do not feel like you are getting enough from your cough treatment, you may consider switching chiropractors.