First of all, I want to thank you if you are not a skeptic. Thanks for being a chiropractic "believer" (Ha!) and practice member of mine. I have many patients and families that come get adjusted on a regular basis. Most start out with symptoms, aches and pains of all types. Some only come when they hurt (we don't discriminate), but many come in bi-weekly or monthly even if they don't hurt. Keeping your nervous system interference free goes a long way to keeping your body healthy and pain free.
Secondly, I want you to share this blog with someone you know that isn't seeing a chiropractor. Most everyone I know fears the unknown. Most have never tried chiropractic. Most don't really know what they are missing. The following information may help educate the chiropractic skeptic. Please help me spread the word.
Chiropractic is Scientific
How do you define "scientific?"
Chiropractic is quite scientific.
If you define it as the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment and then testing the resulting hypotheses, then today's chiropractic is quite scientific. Because it's based on the scientific fact that the nervous system controls and regulates virtually every cell, tissue, organ and system of the body.
Don't be misled by the "low-tech" nature of chiropractic adjustments! There are a growing number of studies that suggest the chiropractic approach to reducing nerve disturbance along the spine, may enhance the ability of the brain and nerve system to control and regulate the body. These include published research documenting the results of chiropractic care on asthma, infantile colic, immune function, dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps), improving vision and brain function, lower back pain, headaches, high blood pressure, one's overall health status and many others.
The "scientific" argument is largely a red herring and the sign of a double standard. Medical economist David Eddy, MD, Ph.D., observes that only 15% of medical procedures have ever been scientifically verified, and the other 85% of common medical procedures have no "scientific basis!"
*this is one scientific fact I do know: It's a scientific fact that your nervous system controls everything
Chiropractors are Well Educated
Today's chiropractor is well educated.
The fact is, educational requirements for today's chiropractor are among the most stringent of any of the health care professions.
Several decades ago the education that chiropractors received was purposely narrow. Without the interest in prescribing medicines or performing surgery, chiropractic education focused on anatomy, the philosophy of natural healing, the wisdom of the body and adjusting techniques.
Today's chiropractor receives a much broader education. In fact, it's quite comparable to that received by medical practitioners.
Before acceptance to a four-year chiropractic college, prospective chiropractors must complete a minimum of three years of undergraduate work with a heavy emphasis on the basic sciences.
This focus on science continues during the first two years of study, emphasizing classroom and laboratory work in anatomy, physiology, public health, microbiology, pathology and biochemistry. Later, the focus is on specialized subjects, including chiropractic philosophy and practice, along with chiropractic diagnosis and adjusting methods. Since chiropractors don't prescribe drugs, instead of studying pharmacology and surgery, they receive an even deeper training in anatomy, physiology, rehabilitation, nutrition, diagnosis, X-ray and a variety of adjusting techniques that aren't taught in any other health care field.
Disparaging the educational achievements of today's chiropractor is an outdated belief from another era.
Chiropractic Adjustments are Safe
The argument about safety concerns is an example of "junk science" and a perennial favorite by those who have an interest in discouraging people from seeking chiropractic care.
Because of the popularity of this tactic, year after year it has been the subject of countless research projects. The result of these studies show complications from neck adjustments, the supposedly "riskiest" chiropractic procedure, are exceedingly rare:
1972 - One death in several tens of millions adjustments.1
1978 - One in 10,000,000 neck adjustments.2
1981 - One in a 1,000,000 neck adjustments.3
1983 - Two to three per 1,000,000 adjustments.4
1985 - One in 400,000 neck adjustments.5
1993 - One in 3,846,153 neck adjustments.6
1995 - One in 2,000,000 neck adjustments.7
1996 - One in 900,000 neck adjustments.8
The most recent in-depth review of the relationship between stroke and chiropractic care, was published in the February 15, 2008 issue of Spine Journal. It looked at 10 years of hospital records, involving 100 million person-years. The verdict? There was no evidence of an increase in vertebral artery dissection risk with chiropractic, compared with medical management. Based on this review, stroke, particularly vertebrobasilar dissection, should be considered a random and unpredictable complication of any neck movement, including cervical manipulation.
In other words, cases of serious injury are practically nonexistent. By comparison, it makes the deaths caused by over-the-counter-pain-relievers to be considerably more troubling! Although reports vary, annual deaths in the United States attributable to NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, ketoprofen and tiaprofenic acid) range from 3,200 to higher than 16,500 deaths and 76,000 hospitalizations.9
Even risk-adverse insurance companies recognize the safety of today's chiropractic care. The premiums for malpractice insurance paid by chiropractors are a mere fraction of what medical practitioners must pay. Chiropractic care is safe.
Receive Care as Long as You Like
We've all heard the joke: "How many chiropractors does it take to change a light bulb?"
"Only one but it takes 100 visits." Funny. Ha-ha.
The fact is, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. Many folks choose to continue their chiropractic care on some type of periodic basis for the rest of the lives. Others choose to see us from time to time for episodes of neck or back pain. It's your choice. However, this concern is prompted by two common questions:
"Will I get addicted to chiropractic adjustments?"
Benefit as long as you like.
No. Many people feel a pleasant sense of ease and well-being after their chiropractic adjustments. Some feel as though their power has been "turned on." Others feel more whole or "connected." (This is what "normal" feels like!) Once people experience this feeling they often choose to adopt some type of ongoing schedule of care so they continue to feel this way all the time. It's not an addiction.
"Why are so many visits necessary?"
By the time many people consult our practice, they've had their problem for some time. Retraining muscles and ligaments that support the spine takes time. Each visit builds on the ones before. Remember, you're doing the healing, not the chiropractor!
How long you decide to benefit from chiropractic care is always up to you. Most patients go through relief and restrortive care. Many then choose to do maintenance tune-ups thereafter. I can say that those that don't maintain usually come back months or years later in pain.
"I don't like the idea of being 'cracked'. Is there any other type of treatment?"
Yes, the traditional "diversified" adjustment that releases air and creates the "pop and crack" noise is only one of several treatment options that our office offers. For example, you may receive Cox Flexion-Distraction Technique, Activator Technique, soft tissue therapy (e.g. ART or Graston ) along with stretching and strengthening exercises, mobilization, interferential current therapy and muscle percussion therapy.
MORE CHIROPRACTIC FACTS...
- Chiropractic was founded in 1895 by Daniel D. Palmer as an alternative health care discipline to medical practice. The word "chiropractic" is derived from Greek, meaning "done by hand."
- Chiropractic today is the third largest primary health care profession in the western world next to medicine and dentistry.
- Chiropractic has always presented itself as a natural and conservative source of health care, offering an alternative in some cases to the medical domain of prescribing medication and performing operations. Accordingly, chiropractors make no use of drugs or surgery.
- Chiropractic's central interest is the relationship between impaired position/movement of spinal vertebrae and the nerve system, and the effect of this on health. In fact, the normal movement and position of all bones/joints and the appropriate tone and texture of all the connective tissues in the body directly affect well-being and performance.
- Chiropractic utilizes a "hands on" active approach. The principle treatment is adjustment/ manipulation of the spine and supportive soft-tissue techniques. There is a focus on lifestyle counseling, prevention, and patient responsibility for health (for example, in the areas of posture, diet, exercise, stress-reduction, etc.).
- Chiropractic care is safe. The risk of serious injury following chiropractic treatment is considered remote - less than 0.01% according to medical studies. This compares with a much higher risk for invasive procedures involving injections, medications, and surgeries that, in most cases, should only be attempted after multiple forms of conservative care have failed.
- Chiropractic care has been known to help many people suffering from a wide variety of nerve/muscle/joint-related conditions. If the chiropractor examines a person and finds joint dysfunction, nerve irritability and/or connective tissue abnormalities related to the problem area, it is likely that chiropractic care will help.
- Chiropractic patients come in all shapes, sizes and ages. Using the appropriate techniques, conditioned athletes as well as weekend athletes, sedentary office workers as well as manual laborers, old and young alike may be helped.
- The benefits of chiropractic you can look forward to are many: effective pain relief, restored freedom of movement, correction of the underlying problem, return to work and recreational activities, enhanced athletic performance, prevention of spinal decay, and improved overall health.
References
1 Maigne R. Orthopedic Medicine: A New Approach to Vertebral Manipulations.
Springfield, Illinois, Charles C. Thomas. 1972; 155, 169.
2 Cyriax J. Textbook of Orthopaedic Medicine. Vol 1. Diagnosis of soft tissue lesions (7th
edition). London, Bailliere Tindall. 1978; 165.
3 Hosek RS, Schram SB, Silverman H, Meyers JB. Cervical Manipulation. J Amer Med
Assoc. 1981; 245:922.
4 Gutmann G. Verletzungen der arteria vertebrailis durch manuelle therapie. Manuelle Medizin
1983; 21:2-14.
5 Dvorak J, Orelli F. How dangerous is manipulation of the cervical spine? Manuel Med 1985;
2:1-4.
6 Carey PF. A report on the occurrence of cerebrovasular accidents in chiropractic
practice. J Canada Chiropractic Association 1993 (June);37 (2): 104-6.
7 Dabbs V Lauretti WJ. A risk assessment of cervical manipulation vs NSAIDS for the
treatment of neck pain. J Manip Physio Ther 1995 (Oct); 18 (8): 530-6.
8 Klougart N, Leboeuf-Yde C, Rasmussen LR. Safety in Chiropractic Practice. J Manip
Physiol Ther 1996 (Jul-Aug); 19 (6): 371-7.
9 Singh Gurkirpal, MD, "Recent Considerations in Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug
Gastropathy", The American Journal of Medicine, July 27, 1998, p. 31S Wolfe M. MD, Lichtenstein D. MD, and Singh Gurkirpal, MD, "Gastrointestinal Toxicity of Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs", The New England Journal of Medicine, June 17, 1999, Vol. 340, No. 24, pp. 1888-1889.