Chiropracticis a health care profession that focuses on
disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system. Those
that use chiropractic care regularly recommend it highly for a variety
of reasons. Here are the seven best reasons to find a chiropractor when
you aren't feeling your very best.
1. Chiropractic Has Been Proven Safe
Chiropractic
is one of the safest therapies available if you are suffering from any
neuromusculoskeletal issues such as back, neck, joint, or head pain.
What
exactly does safe mean? If you want to talk numbers, then the risk of
injury is 1 in 286,000,000, or 0.0002%. Compare that to standard
treatments such as medication and surgery where the risk of injury is 1
in 1428. That's right - chiropractic manipulation is that much safer,
and as you'll learn later in this report, more effective as well.
The
most common issue involving chiropractic isn't an injury at all. It is
simply some mild soreness after adjustment. Think about how your muscles
feel if you've done something you don't normally do. You feel sore
because your muscles, bones, and ligaments have moved in ways they are
not used to moving. This is what happens during a chiropractic
adjustment but on a minor scale. Any soreness you feel will be gone
within 24 hours and most patients feel immediately better with no
soreness whatsoever.
Why is chiropractic so safe? There are four main reasons:
- Chiropractors have years of schooling with coursework that includes classes on all aspects of the spine.
- Chiropractors have been trained, doing clinical work long before becoming licensed.
- Chiropractors continue their education long after graduation,
completing courses yearly in order to maintain a license to practice.
- Finally, and most importantly, a chiropractor's basic philosophy is
that the body is capable of healing itself. The purpose of a
chiropractor is simply to remove the subluxations, or blockages, that
occur in spine so that the body can do its job.
Chiropractic is so safe that agencies unassociated with chiropractic tout its benefits. For instance, the
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research
(AHCPR), part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, found
that complications are rare. Not only that, they suggest that
chiropractic should be used before surgery is considered. And finally,
they state that prescription drugs are not recommended for most back
pains.
2. Chiropractic Has Been Proven Effective for Pain
If you have pain, chiropractic may be just what you need. Studies in
the United States and other parts of the world show that chiropractic
manipulations are effective. One study in California found that
chiropractic was effective 86% of the time for general lower back pain.
But
what of acute lower back pain? A report released by the Agency for
Health Care Policy and Research recommended chiropractic as the best
treatment for this ailment. A study from the University of Pittsburgh
Medical Center and the Jefferson County (Missouri) Rehabilitation Centre
showed that there was immediate improvement when chiropractic was used
to treat acute low back pain.
Study after study has been conducted
and study after study has concluded that spinal adjustment is superior
to other treatments for acute pain. But chiropractic is beneficial to
more than just general, chronic, or acute lower back pain.
Patients
of chiropractic seek help for neck pain or discomfort as well. In fact,
19% of patients report neck pain at the first consultation. This pain
is usually caused by accident or injury but can also be brought on by
every day living.
The modern medical treatment for neck pain is
either immobilization or physical therapy. However, studies have shown
that spinal adjustments are more effective. For instance, a study done
in the Netherlands observed patients receiving one of the three
treatments. They found that spinal adjustments improved overall physical
functioning more than the other treatments.
Beyond the back and
neck, patients often seeks chiropractic care for headaches, including
migraines. For chiropractic patients, migraines are often reduced or
resolved without using pain killers or other prescription medications. A
study was published by chiropractic doctors at University of Odense and
the Nordic Institute of Chiropractic and clinical Biochemist in Denmark
showing that spinal adjustments and soft tissue therapy allowed for
steady improvement.
Many people understand the role of
chiropractic in the back, neck, and head because chiropractors are seen
as "back doctors." However, chiropractic has proven effective for many
other conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, infantile
colic, and much more.
For pain associated with a variety of
conditions, chiropractic is proven effective, often more effective than
modern medical treatments. Coupled with the safety of chiropractic, it
should be your first choice when dealing with pain.
3. Chiropractic is Less Invasive and Drug Free
If
you go to a medical doctor due to neck and back pain, you are likely to
be given nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, known as NSAIDS.
Although these drugs are given out regularly, they do have significant
risks t hat are far greater than the typical issue, soreness, seen with
chiropractic.
NSAID risks include:
- Allergic reactions, some of which can be life threatening
- Hives or rashes
- Increased risk of heart attack
- Increased risk of stroke
- Gastrointestinal issues such as bleeding or ulcers
- Cancer
Another typical treatment is bed rest. But this, too, can
cause problems such as muscles atrophy, heart and lung weakness, bone
loss, and blood clots.
Let's not forget surgery. Surgery is used
for neck and back pain whenever painkillers and bed rest don't work and
the risks of surgery are great. They include:
- Breathing issues due to anesthesia - a patient can quit breathing entirely
- Blood loss leading to transfusions
- Cardiovascular risks such as heart attack or stroke
- Scar tissue
- Pain
- Infection
- Blood clots
- Lung collapse
- Injury to other areas of the body
- Paralysis
- Numbness and tingling of parts of the body
- Swelling and bruising
- And even death
Chiropractic has none of these risks because it is not
invasive. There is no cutting on the body and there is no medication
prescribed. To avoid the risks associated with NSAIDS and surgery,
chiropractic is an excellent choice.
4. Chiropractic is Less Disruptive to Your Lifestyle
Chiropractic
is done on an outpatient basis and has easy recovery, often less than
24 hours of minimal soreness. Consider this in comparison to the
recovery of surgery.
After any surgical procedure, the body needs
time to repair tissues damaged during the surgery so that the body can
return to normal. Surgical recovery is a process that can take time,
often long periods of time requiring medication and bed rest. In fact,
pushing yourself too hard after surgery will cause setbacks and make
your recovery time longer.
Chiropractic, on the other hand, has
limited recovery time. At most, chiropractic patients may feel some mild
soreness in the area of the manipulation. This soreness is typically
gone in a matter of hours, not days or weeks as with surgery.
Additionally,
surgical patients that are older, out of shape, overweight, or
generally in poor health will take far longer to heal and be ready for
every day life. Although different factors will dictate how quickly you
are pain free, the ability to resume your lifestyle happens quickly with
most patients, often with as little as one manipulation.
5. Chiropractic is Less Expensive
In
August 1999, Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BCBS) of Kansas presented a study
titled "Lumbago Treatment." When viewed per treatment episode,
chiropractic was shown to be more cost effective than anesthesiology,
neurosurgery, neurology, registered physical therapy, orthopedic
reconstructive surgery, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and
rheumatology.
Why so cost effective? Medical doctors and physical therapists rely on:
- Referrals
- Prescriptions
- Surgery
- MRIs
- CT scans
- Hospitalization
Over 50% of the charges are simply for diagnostic procedures and not for actual pain relief.
On
the other hand, the majority of chiropractic expense comes from office
based treatment with less than 10% of costs arising from diagnostics,
typically in the form of spinal x-rays.
A study in the May 2007
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics showed that
chiropractic resulted in a 60.2% reduction in hospital admissions, 59.0%
reduction in hospital days, 62.0% reduction in outpatient surgeries and
procedures, and 83% reduction pharmaceutical costs when compared with
conventional medicine.
By reducing these items, overall costs
associated with chiropractic care are significantly less than that of
traditional medical care.
6. Chiropractic Helps With Injuries Due to Accidents
Chiropractic
is beneficial in treating various injuries such as sprains, pulled
muscles, and joint problems due to auto, sports, work, and everyday
injuries. The most common injuries due to accidents are:
- Whiplash
- Lower back misalignment
- Upper back and neck misalignment
- Repetitive motion injuries
Whiplash is the sudden movement that causes distortions
to the neck. This type of sudden movement often happens during a car
crash, even one at very low speeds. Although you may not initially feel
any pain, the vertebrae that move out of place will eventually cause
problems with the nerves and cause you pain from misalignment or
subluxations. Medical doctors prescribe pain meds and bed rest for
whiplash, which may be good for a day or two, but not for the long run.
There is no way to remain in bed indefinitely nor is it possible to
function regularly on pain medications. A chiropractor will help you
with the cause of the problem rather than help you manage the symptoms.
Lower
back misalignment can happen suddenly or over a long period of time.
For instance, you can improperly lift something heavy resulting in
immediate back pain, or you can simply have poor posture that results in
back pain over time. The misalignment causes subluxations that can be
corrected using chiropractic.
Lower back pain is made up of several different low back problems including:
- Vertebral subluxations
- Injured discs
- Muscle strain
- Ligament sprain
- Scoliosis
- Sciatica
- And more.
The ability to correct injuries holds true for the upper back and neck as well.
Repetitive
Motion Injuries are a fast growing source of pain in the United States
often associated with the workplace, particularly sitting at a computer
terminal for long periods of time. Repetitive motion injuries cause less
oxygen to get into the muscles and this causes scar tissue to develop.
Chiropractic releases the subluxations causing the pain.
So,
whether your pain is from a car accident or merely sitting incorrectly
at work, chiropractic is a way for you to feel better fast.
7. Chiropractic: Because You Live, Move, and Breathe
Because
you are alive and move about, you are sure to cause a misalignment of
your spine at one time or another. Simple movements such as sitting or
bending can cause problems. So can walking, running, stretching, and
lifting. In fact, any movement can create a subluxation and subluxations
cause pain when left alone. So, if you move, then you can benefit from
chiropractic.
Whether you are out running every day or see
yourself more as a couch potato, chiropractic can be beneficial to you.
It is the most effective natural healthcare available. And, as you've
learned, it is safe, effective, non-invasive, inexpensive, and great for
any injuries you may have. If you live, move, or breathe, you should
have a doctor of Chiropractic as a member of your personal health care
team.
