Are Chiropractic Treatments Effective? 

Approximately 22 million Americans see a chiropractor every year seeking pain relief alternatives. Thirty-five percent of them, which is about 7.7 million people, are specifically seeking relief from back pain created by various causes, from car accidents to sports injuries. People also go to the chiropractor to seek relief from neck pain, shoulder pain, joint stiffness, and headaches without surgery or drugs. It is amazingly effective but only if you go into it with the right expectations and after finding the right chiropractor for your needs. SnapCrack  – chiropractor in Coral Gables warns that although there are standards that practicing chiropractors must meet, many pursue post-graduate studies in other related fields such as nutrition and neurology so that they can assist patients with different needs.

What are chiropractic treatments?

Chiropractic’s straddles alternative medicine and standard medical care in treating musculoskeletal injuries. In fact, according to an associate professor of health sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, chiropractic’s was the first type of holistic medicine that treated the whole person rather than just the part that hurts. An article published in 2017 in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that spinal manipulations focusing on the cervical and lumbar parts of the spine significantly reduced lower back pain. Therefore, the medical community widely accepts that chiropractors can effectively alleviate lower back pain and improve a patient‘s health.

Isn’t chiropractic care bad for me?

In short, no. Public opinion on chiropractic care has come a long way. One myth that scared people from seeing a chiropractor was that spinal manipulations could result in strokes or torn arteries. Because neck pain can be a sign of stroke, patients would go to see a chiropractor about their pain, thus delaying their stroke treatment, which would only worsen as time went on. After they visited their chiropractor, the symptoms of their stroke advanced not due to chiropractic care being dangerous but because strokes require timely interventions. Additionally, research has found that there have only been 23 cases of artery tears among the more than 134 million chiropractic manipulations.

Some people believe that because chiropractors don’t go to allopathic medical schools, their treatments can’t be effective, but this isn’t true, either. To practice, one must complete undergraduate studies, usually in Biology or Anatomy, and then obtain a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree. It takes 4 years to complete a D.C. program, and students are required to complete clinical experiences and meet exceptionally high standards set forth by their professors. After that, they can complete post-doctoral training in specializations to help them treat specific injuries or conditions in patients. As healthcare professionals, many chiropractors share practices with doctors with M.D. degrees or physical therapists and refer their patients to these other professionals when necessary.

How should I choose a chiropractor?

The answer to this question will depend on what condition is causing you pain, what other medical conditions you have, and what your goals are. For example, someone injured in a car accident and who wants to regain mobility will have different needs than a pregnant patient whose back and pelvis are affected by the growing baby inside their womb. However, no matter why you seek a chiropractor, you should always schedule an initial consultation to learn more about them, their practice philosophies, what specialized training they have (if any), and if you like them. 

After all, you will be putting your trust in them, and they will be touching your body using clinically-proven methods, so you want to be confident in your selection. Many chiropractors offer free consultations that last between 15 to 20 minutes so that you can ask questions that go beyond what you can find on their website. You can also get a sense of the clinic where they practice – is the staff friendly? Is there a long wait time to see the chiropractor? Your personal answers will shed light on your preference for chiropractors. 

Photo credit Pexels