Misconceptions about Chiropractic

 

Seven Myths About Chiropractic Care

 

Chiropractic Misconceptions

Over the years, a number of untruths pertaining to chiropractic have been disseminated, mostly by economic competitors or those with differing philosophies.

At Acupuncture and Chiropractic Center of Pensacola, we believe that you have the right to know the truth about your treatment options, so we will address these myths one-by-one:

 

Myth #1: Spinal adjustments hurt

On the contrary! Often, chiropractic patients feel INSTANT pain relief immediately after their treatments.

Many chiropractic patients look forward to their sessions to experience alleviation from pain. For patients suffering from severe bouts of back or neck pain, some discomfort may be experienced during treatment; however, for most patients this is not the case.

 

Myth #2: Spinal adjustments are dangerous

Chiropractic adjustments are among the safest treatments for many back and neck problems.

Chiropractic spinal adjustments are extremely safe when performed by qualified chiropractors such as Dr. Cowan. In fact, chiropractic adjustments are among the safest treatments for most back and neck problems.

According to a 1993 Ontario Ministry of Health commissioned study,

“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., did warn that spinal adjustments performed by health care professionals other than qualified doctors of chiropractic were potentially harmful and less effective:

“There is also some evidence in the literature to suggest that spinal manipulations are less safe and less effective when performed by nonchiropractic professionals.”

On December 8, 1994, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released clinical practice guidelines for the management of acute low back pain.

Their guidelines were developed after extensive study of the diagnostic and treatment methods used for acute low back pain. Their findings included:

  • The risk of serious complications from lumbar spinal manipulation is rare
  • Conservative treatment such as spinal manipulation should be pursued in most cases before considering surgical intervention
  • Prescription drugs such as oral steroids, antidepressant medications, and colchicine are not recommended for acute low back problems.

 

Myth #3: Chiropractic doctors lack education compared with medical doctors

In reality, doctors of chiropractic have training similar to traditional medical doctors.

The training and education undertaken by licensed chiropractors is thorough and demanding, similar to that of medical doctors with the exception of pharmacology and surgery:

  • Prior to entering chiropractic college, the aspiring chiropractor requires 2-4 years (depending on the college attended and the state in which one wishes to practice) of premed undergraduate studies.
  • Once the premed course work has been completed, the student must next complete 4-5 academic years of studies at a chiropractic college. This includes extensive training in anatomy, physiology, pathology, neurology, radiology, differential diagnosis, chiropractic adjustive techniques, biomechanics, and other health-related studies.
  • Prior to graduation each student must successfully complete several hundred clinical hours of patient management in a clinical setting under professional supervision.
  • Most chiropractic colleges also require students to partake in clinical externship programs, which place them in actual chiropractic offices, further enhancing their clinical practice skills.
  • Near or soon after graduation, the new doctors of chiropractic must successfully complete rigorous national and state board examinations prior to obtaining a license to practice chiropractic.
  • Once licensed, most states require that chiropractors receive annual continuing education to ensure that a high level of competency is maintained.

 

Myth #4: Chiropractic is not scientific

The chiropractic profession is dedicated to conducting scientific studies to advance treatment techniques.

In the last 20 years, chiropractic health care has established an impressive array of scientific research that demonstrates the efficacy, safety and cost effectiveness of chiropractic care.

There are many studies currently underway, including those performed by medical doctors and government researchers in both the U.S. and a number of other countries.

What you may not know is that 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, MD, PhD, 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, MD, MPH, 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.”

 

Myth #5: Chiropractic Care Is Expensive

Research has shown chiropractic care to cost 58% less than traditional medical care.

Chiropractic care has been consistently shown to be cost effective in a number of government and workers’ compensation board studies.

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.”

An economic analysis conducted in Richmond, Virginia found that

“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 chiropractic doctors or medical doctors, they found chiropractic treatment costs were 58.8% of the treatments costs rendered by medical doctors ($558 vs. $1,100 per case).

 

Myth #6: You’ll be dependent on chiropractic care for the rest of your life

Truth is, regular “check ups” take the same amount of commitment as regular dental care.

Most doctors of chiropractic promote a preventative type of lifestyle, which has been construed by adversaries to mean that chiropractic care requires a lifetime of commitment.

Our belief is that recommending that patients return for periodic spinal care is no different that what dentists recommend to their patients in order to prevent cavities and gum disease.

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 act to minimize the likelihood of future recurrences or development of new problems.

It’s really that simple. Convenient periodic care to prevents complex future problems later.

 

Myth #7: Chiropractors Only Treat Back Pain

Chiropractors provide effective treatment for all types of disorders—not just back and neck ailments.

Chiropractic care is an excellent choice for soft tissue disorders.

In addition to back and neck ailments, chiropractic care can be a viable treatment for conditions of the joints of the extremities like the ankle, knee and shoulder.

The other disorders chiropractic care can treat may surprise you.

What you may not know is that chiropractic care can be successful in treating a number of non-soft tissue conditions:

  • Dysmenorrhea (painful menstrual periods)
  • Ulcers
  • Migraine headaches
  • Ear infections in children

While we cannot claim to cure these conditions, we believe that many of these problems can be mimicked, aggravated, and some times caused by disruptions in the nervous system as a result of spinal abnormalities.

By correcting vertebral subluxation and other spinal abnormalities, chiropractic care has helped thousands of individuals overcome health-impacting conditions and regain control of their lives.

 

These findings have been supported in the medical literature.

In one such study performed by Pikalov MD and Kharin MD, spinal manipulative therapy was compared with standard medical treatments in the treatment of duodenal ulcers.

The researchers 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.

 

Are you ready to find out if chiropractic care is for you? Please contact Dr. Cowan today to schedule your initial assessment.

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