Does Chiropractic Really Work?

Chiropractic has been around for over a hundred years and has been used to help everyone from young babies to the elderly. Even top sports stars and entertainers … like Tiger Woods, Emmitt Smith, Tony Robbins, Joe Montana, Lance Armstrong, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mel Gibson. In fact, the US government is so convinced that chiropractic works that it has been paying for it through the Medicare system for 30 years. All major insurance companies in the United States cover chiropractic care for short-term relief of neck and back pain, as numerous studies have shown cost effectiveness of chiropractic care. ” [chiropractic adjustments]With or without exercise, symptoms improved more than medical care after 3 and 12 months. “- British Medical Journal.

Another study stated the following: “Chiropractor manipulation of the spine was more helpful than any of the following: traction, massage, biofeedback, acupuncture, steroid injection into the spine and back braces, and ultrasound.” – Stanley Bigos, MD, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery. There is an endless list of health problems that chiropractic can help with. For example, this is what a recent study on chiropractic and high blood pressure found. “This procedure has the effect of not one, but two blood pressure medications given in combination … And it appears to be free of adverse events. We saw no side effects or problems,” said study leader George Bakris, MD, Director of the Center for Hypertension at the University of Chicago.

Why suffer with years of misery? The great myth about health problems is that “it may go away on its own.” A 1998 study in the British Medical Journal proved this myth to be false, showing that most back pain sufferers who do nothing will have pain 12 months later. That is not a way to live, not when there could be an easy solution to your problem.

There are powerful formulas to help overcome the debilitating neck and back pain that can often get in the way of a normal, productive life. This formula combines chiropractic and exercise in moderation to eliminate back pain and prevent future damage. Back and neck pain is largely a product of inactivity and static posture. The chiropractor’s goal is to improve joint range of motion, decrease muscle spasms around the spinal joints, and prescribe an easy-to-follow home exercise program that will help maximize the results obtained from chiropractic care.

This last part of a patient’s care is called active care. Chiropractic care moves in a progression from passive care (that is, the doctor does the work) to active care (that is, the patient does rehabilitation exercises for muscle strength and flexibility). It is most beneficial for patients to start active care as early as possible for the best results. In fact, most patients in our office begin active care right away, unless they are in acute pain and unable to do so. This can include simply walking for 10 to 15 minutes a few times a day and will progress as the patient improves.

Chiropractic and exercise are a powerful combination when implemented correctly and can help patients have a better life without pain.