Chiropractic Myths
Chiropractic Myths
DO NOT DELETE
Spinal Adjustments Hurt
Spinal Adjustments Are Dangerous
“There is no clinical or case-control study that demonstrates or even implies that chiropractic spinal manipulation is unsafe in the treatment of low-back pain. Some medical treatments are equally safe,but others are unsafe and generate iatrogenic (doctor-induced) complications for low-back pain patients. Our reading of the literature suggests that chiropractic manipulation is safer than medical management of low-back pain.”
Lead investigator of the study, Pran Manga, Ph.D., however, did warn that spinal adjustments performed by health care professionals other than qualified doctors of Chiropractic were potentially harmful and less effective:
”Indeed, several existing medical therapies of low-back pain are generally contraindicated on the basis of the existing clinical trials. There is also some evidence in the literature to suggest that spinal manipulations are less safe and less effective when performed by non-Chiropractic professionals.”
Chiropractic Is Not Scientific
In fact, the Chiropractic profession has accumulated a greater number of scientific trials on Chiropractic than the medical profession has accumulated for many of the treatments rendered by medical doctors.According to David M. Edy, M.D., Ph.D., professor of health policy and management with Duke
University, North Carolina, only 15 percent of all medical interventions are supported by solid scientific evidence. Paul G. Shekelle, M.D., M.P.H., of the RAND Corporation made the following statement on ABC’s 20/20:
“There are considerably more randomized controlled trials which show benefit of this (chiropractic care) than there are for many, many other things which physicians and neurosurgeons do all the time.”
Chiropractic Care Is Expensive
According to The Manga Report, a 1993 Canadian government commissioned study,
“There would be highly significant cost savings if more management of low-back pain was transferred from physicians to chiropractors… Users of chiropractic care have substantially lower health care costs, especially inpatient costs, than those who use medical care only.”
According to an economic analysis conducted in Richmond, Virginia,
“By every test of cost and effectiveness, the general weight of evidence shows chiropractic to provide important therapeutic benefits, at economical costs. Additionally, these benefits are achieved with apparently minimal, even negligible, impacts on the costs of health insurance.”
When the State of Florida’s Workers’ Compensation Board conducted research in 1988 on treatment costs associated with injured workers who received care from either Chiropractors or medical doctors, they found Chiropractic treatment costs were 58.8 percent of the treatments costs rendered by medical doctors ($558 vs. $1,100 per case).
You'll Have To Continue Chiropractic Care For The Rest Of Your Life
Just as it would be ludicrous to believe that visiting a dentist once per lifetime would ensure permanently healthy teeth and gums it’s equally as silly to think that visiting a Chiropractor a few times will ensure a lifelong healthy spine. Our spinal tissues undergo daily bombardment of stresses originating from bad postural habits, suboptimal work environments, psychological stress, and hectic lifestyles just to name a few.
For these reasons, after the resolution of acute problems patients are given the option to receive periodic spinal checkups, which acts to minimize the likelihood of future recurrences or development of new problems. The preventative approach in health care has been gaining much recognition as of late and there has been a large push in the medical community and health insurance industry to incorporate preventative programs into mainstream medicine.
It’s really that simple. Periodic care to prevent future problems – safe, natural, convenient care now to avoid nasty and complex problems later.
However, you’re in control and you can decide how far you and for how long you take Chiropractic care.
Chiropractors Only Treat Back Pain
What you may not be aware of is Chiropractic’s success in a number of non-soft tissue conditions like dysmenorrhoea (painful menses), ulcers, migraine headaches, and ear infections in children. While we cannot claim to treat these conditions, we believe that many of these problems can be mimicked, aggravated and sometimes caused by disruptions in the nervous system as a result of spinal abnormalities. By correcting these spinal abnormalities like the vertebral subluxation, Chiropractic has helped thousands of individuals overcome these conditions and regain control of their lives.
A number of studies have also supported these findings. In one such study, spinal manipulative therapy was compared with standard medical treatments in the treatment of duodenal ulcers. The researchers Pikalov, MD, and Kharin, MD, found those subjects receiving spinal manipulations took an average of
16 days to heal vs. 26 days to heal in the standard medical treatment group.
TESTIMONIALS
Chiropractic Myths
DO NOT DELETE
Spinal Adjustments Hurt
Spinal Adjustments Are Dangerous
“There is no clinical or case-control study that demonstrates or even implies that chiropractic spinal manipulation is unsafe in the treatment of low-back pain. Some medical treatments are equally safe,but others are unsafe and generate iatrogenic (doctor-induced) complications for low-back pain patients. Our reading of the literature suggests that chiropractic manipulation is safer than medical management of low-back pain.”
Lead investigator of the study, Pran Manga, Ph.D., however, did warn that spinal adjustments performed by health care professionals other than qualified doctors of Chiropractic were potentially harmful and less effective:
”Indeed, several existing medical therapies of low-back pain are generally contraindicated on the basis of the existing clinical trials. There is also some evidence in the literature to suggest that spinal manipulations are less safe and less effective when performed by non-Chiropractic professionals.”
Chiropractic Is Not Scientific
In fact, the Chiropractic profession has accumulated a greater number of scientific trials on Chiropractic than the medical profession has accumulated for many of the treatments rendered by medical doctors.According to David M. Edy, M.D., Ph.D., professor of health policy and management with Duke
University, North Carolina, only 15 percent of all medical interventions are supported by solid scientific evidence. Paul G. Shekelle, M.D., M.P.H., of the RAND Corporation made the following statement on ABC’s 20/20:
“There are considerably more randomized controlled trials which show benefit of this (chiropractic care) than there are for many, many other things which physicians and neurosurgeons do all the time.”
Chiropractic Care Is Expensive
According to The Manga Report, a 1993 Canadian government commissioned study,
“There would be highly significant cost savings if more management of low-back pain was transferred from physicians to chiropractors… Users of chiropractic care have substantially lower health care costs, especially inpatient costs, than those who use medical care only.”
According to an economic analysis conducted in Richmond, Virginia,
“By every test of cost and effectiveness, the general weight of evidence shows chiropractic to provide important therapeutic benefits, at economical costs. Additionally, these benefits are achieved with apparently minimal, even negligible, impacts on the costs of health insurance.”
When the State of Florida’s Workers’ Compensation Board conducted research in 1988 on treatment costs associated with injured workers who received care from either Chiropractors or medical doctors, they found Chiropractic treatment costs were 58.8 percent of the treatments costs rendered by medical doctors ($558 vs. $1,100 per case).
You'll Have To Continue Chiropractic Care For The Rest Of Your Life
Just as it would be ludicrous to believe that visiting a dentist once per lifetime would ensure permanently healthy teeth and gums it’s equally as silly to think that visiting a Chiropractor a few times will ensure a lifelong healthy spine. Our spinal tissues undergo daily bombardment of stresses originating from bad postural habits, suboptimal work environments, psychological stress, and hectic lifestyles just to name a few.
For these reasons, after the resolution of acute problems patients are given the option to receive periodic spinal checkups, which acts to minimize the likelihood of future recurrences or development of new problems. The preventative approach in health care has been gaining much recognition as of late and there has been a large push in the medical community and health insurance industry to incorporate preventative programs into mainstream medicine.
It’s really that simple. Periodic care to prevent future problems – safe, natural, convenient care now to avoid nasty and complex problems later.
However, you’re in control and you can decide how far you and for how long you take Chiropractic care.
Chiropractors Only Treat Back Pain
What you may not be aware of is Chiropractic’s success in a number of non-soft tissue conditions like dysmenorrhoea (painful menses), ulcers, migraine headaches, and ear infections in children. While we cannot claim to treat these conditions, we believe that many of these problems can be mimicked, aggravated and sometimes caused by disruptions in the nervous system as a result of spinal abnormalities. By correcting these spinal abnormalities like the vertebral subluxation, Chiropractic has helped thousands of individuals overcome these conditions and regain control of their lives.
A number of studies have also supported these findings. In one such study, spinal manipulative therapy was compared with standard medical treatments in the treatment of duodenal ulcers. The researchers Pikalov, MD, and Kharin, MD, found those subjects receiving spinal manipulations took an average of
16 days to heal vs. 26 days to heal in the standard medical treatment group.
TESTIMONIALS
How We Can Help
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to our most commonly asked questions can be found by clicking on the questions, if you need to ask about something that isn't already covered, click on ask a question below to email us!
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Whats wrong with me?
Accurately identifying the cause of spinal pain or other discomfort almost always requires a thorough consultation and examination. Individuals should not assume their pain stems from the same problem, for example, their neighbour had, and thus what has helped their neighbour will help them. Just as every individual is unique and different from the next, so too are the health conditions they suffer and the treatments they require.
Chiropractors are highly trained in the diagnosis and treatment of soft tissue injuries and abnormalities common to the spine, extremities and rest of body. Rest assured that if you are suffering from back or neck problems, extremity problems or other health related ailments Chiropractic could provide you with the effective professional relief you demand. If your condition is out of the Chiropractic scope or would be more appropriately managed by another health care specialist, we will gladly and promptly make the necessary referral.
Can Chiropractic help me?
Chiropractic has helped millions of people worldwide suffering from all types of problems and not just back and neck ailments. Chiropractic works with the spinal column and it's intimate relationship with the nervous system - the major controller of all bodily functions. By optimising spinal column structure and biomechanics, irritation and stress are removed and health can once again be achieved.
You may be surprised to learn that research studies have provided scientific evidence showing Chiropractic care is not only effective in the treatment of back and neck ailments, but can also provide effective relief with children suffering from ear infections, women suffering from dysmenorrhoea (painful menses), and a number of other seemingly "non-spinal" conditions. While it's not prudent to guarantee relief from such conditions or claim to "treat" these conditions, Chiropractic has successfully helped millions of individuals with all sorts of health conditions by positively affecting the nervous system.
Of course, Chiropractors are best known for their success in treating back and neck problems. Through the use of Chiropractic spinal adjustments and other highly specialised Chiropractic techniques, Chiropractors have established themselves as the back and neck injury specialists. Many medical experts are now coming to understand the true effectiveness of Chiropractic care and are recommending major changes in the way our health care system manages many common spinal problems. According to a recent Ontario Ministry of Health commissioned study on low-back pain, “A very good case can be made for making Chiropractors the gatekeepers for management of low-back pain..."
I thought my pain was muscular?
More often than not it is an underlying joint that is causing the problem. A painful joint will trigger a muscle spasm around it, and since a muscle receives it's nerve supply from a branch of the spinal nerve, muscular pain may be part of the problem.
I have Arthritis, can i be adjusted?
There are many different types of arthritis, but the most common, osteoarthritis, often responds extremely well to Chiropractic care. Although Chiropractic certainly is not a cure for arthritis, some individuals find that regular Chiropractic care helps to reduce their pain and stiffness and increase mobility. Osteoarthritis is often treated with anti-inflammatory medication and nothing else. This is a mistake. Using anti-inflammatory medication in the long term has been shown to impair the healing rate of cartilage and can also cause damage to the lining of the stomach and result in fatal stomach bleeds, particularly in the elderly. Fortunately there are better ways to manage osteoarthritis.
Can I prevent Arthritis?
Osteoarthritis is not just a problem in older people, younger people can have the disease too. We know from research that abnormally functioning joints can lead to osteoarthritic changes. In fact irreversible changes can occur after only two weeks of complete immobilisation! Chiropractic adjustments can help to restore joint movement and keep your spine from underperforming.
How much will it cost?
Costs vary and generally depend on the number of treatments required to effectively treat your condition. A number of studies have shown that Chiropractic care is extremely cost effective when compared to other "medical" forms of care for similar conditions. According to the 1993 Manga Report, ”There would be highly significant cost savings if more management of low-back pain was transferred from physicians to Chiropractors. Users of Chiropractic care have substantially lower health care costs, especially inpatient costs, than those who use medical care only."
Are Chiropractic treatments safe?
Chiropractic treatments are extremely safe for individuals of all ages - from infants to 100 year olds. Our treatments are safe because we only use natural and non-invasive methods of care. Research consistently shows that care from Chiropractors is among the safest care available and is literally light years ahead of traditional medical care in terms of "safeness". Chiropractic care is "...remarkably safe", in the words of the New Zealand government's inquiry. It is safer than back surgery, muscle relaxants, and even aspirin. All ages from babies to the elderly enjoy safe, effective care around the world.
The treatments themselves are generally not painful. In fact, most patients look forward to their treatments as many experience instantaneous relief immediately afterwards. Individuals who present with moderate to severe pain may experience some minor discomfort for obvious reasons; however, care is always gentle, safe and non-invasive.
Do I need a referral?
No. A Doctor of Chiropractic is a primary contact provider, meaning you do not need a referral. Doctors of Chiropractic are regulated by law, and provide a package of care that can work independently, or alongside treatment prescribed by NHS medical doctors and other health care professionals. If yours is not a Chiropractic case, a responsible Chiropractor will refer you to the appropriate health care provider.
My Dr. says it won't work for me?
We have seen literally thousands of peoples’ lives change for the better after receiving Chiropractic care. Many of these were told that they would never be able to do anything about their pain. We can’t guarantee results but Chiropractic care shou
Will I be sore afterwards?
The overall goal is to optimise your spinal alignment and weight bearing curve and associated joint function and overall optimal nervous system health - not just pain relief. Most people experience some relief of symptoms in the first few weeks and some in even a shorter period of time. However a good Chiropractor will tell you in advance that some post-adjustment soreness is normal, especially at first. In regards to post-adjustment soreness, it is common for Chiropractic adjustments, and soft tissue work to result in a temporary increase in soreness in the treatment area(s). This is nearly always a temporary symptom that occurs while your body is undergoing therapeutic change.
Is the 'popping' sound bad for me?
No! Did your mother ever warn you that "cracking" your knuckles would give you arthritis? If she did, we're sorry to say that she was wrong! Research has actually shown that individuals who habitually "crack" their knuckles over their lifetime actually lower the incidence of arthritis in their knuckles compared with those who do not. The “cracking” or “popping” sound is simply the release of gas from within the joints. It’s a bit like when you open a fizzy drink - the “fizzing” sound is the release of pressure from the bottle - it’s the same with your body when the pressure is taken off the joints.
Are Chiropractic & Osteopathy the same?
The types of conditions that Osteopaths and Chiropractors treat are very similar. However, the focus of Chiropractic is on the proper functioning of the nervous system. This is because the nervous system controls everything in the body. In fact, Chiropractors don’t claim to ‘treat’ anything, rather they help the body to function at is optimum, by removing nerve interference. Once the nerve interference is removed the body very often responds. Chiropractors are trained to take X-rays, whereas Osteopaths are not. X-rays can be a very useful tool in visualising the spine to reveal any potential contraindication to spinal adjustments (manipulation) and provide a more accurate prognosis.
Chiropractors do not just focus on the spine by using adjustments (manipulation) alone as some think. Rather they also utilise soft tissue therapy, therapeutic stretches, rehabilitation, mobilisation and therapeutic modalities.