To Your Health
May, 2018 (Vol. 12, Issue 05) |
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Don't Forget About Chiropractic
By Editorial Staff
Think a visit to your medical doctor will be just as effective as going to a doctor of chiropractic when you're suffering from low back pain? Hmmm. Your medical doctor will likely recommend over-the-counter pain medication or even prescribe something for the pain. (The latter is a primary reason for the opioid crisis that still accounts for countless deaths every day due to abuse / overuse.) On the other hand, a chiropractor will determine the cause of the pain – not mask it with pain relievers – and use safe, effective spinal adjustments and other nondrug, nonsurgical tools to address the problem and help ensure it doesn't return.
OK, so you're still not convinced. Perhaps standard medical care for your low back pain is your preference. But don't forget about chiropractic, because research suggests even people who receive medical treatment for their LBP benefit more from concurrent chiropractic care than those who receive medical care only.
Case in point: a study published in the American Medical Association's open-access journal, JAMA Network Open, that evaluated strategies for the management of low back pain in active-duty military personnel. "Usual medical care" included self-care, medication, physical therapy and referral to a pain clinic. Chiropractic care included spinal manipulation to the low back and adjacent areas of the body, as well as therapies such as rehabilitative exercise, cryotherapy (ice), superficial heat and other manual therapies.
When added to medical care, chiropractic care resulted in moderate improvements in patients' pain and their disability caused by the pain. In other words, they hurt less and were able to function better compared to patients who received medical care only. Now that's a win-win, no doubt about it.
It's important to note that in the wake of the opioid crisis, countless health care organizations have issued guidelines that recommend spinal manipulation as one of the primary tools to manage low back pain – before using pain medication. Research also suggests that not only are current medical treatments for LBP ineffective, but that nondrug therapies – such as spinal manipulation – are a wise alternative. Talk to your doctor to learn more.
