The use of chiropractic medicine has become very popular in the general public. In past years chiropractor\’s were used almost exclusively for back pain and headaches. Because chiropractors work almost exclusively on the spine many people have come to believe that chiropractors are a back specialist. Unfortunately this is not true.
Chiropractors work under the theory that given the right circumstances, situation and nutritional support the body will heal itself. The responsibility, as chiropractors view it, is to relieve any undue pressure on the nerve endings that are exiting the spinal column. By allowing sufficient nervous control of the body, cells and tissues, the chiropractor allows the body to work towards self-healing.
Individuals who seek the care of a chiropractor will find that they undergo neck and back adjustments. These adjustments often result in loud popping sounds and slight contortions of the body as the chiropractor exerts pressure on muscle and the spinal column. Before their first adjustment many individuals are concerned that a spinal adjustment will be painful. But, done correctly by a experienced chiropractor these adjustments are far from painful and actually bring immediate relief.
While these adjustments are safe in the hands of an experienced chiropractor they should never be done by an individual or another profession. Be aware that other professionals such as massage therapists or \” healers\” may make similar claims but without the qualifications and experience of a chiropractor, can do more damage than good.
In 1993 the Ontario Ministry of Health commissioned a study which found that there was no clinical or case controlled study that demonstrated or implied that chiropractic spinal manipulation was unsafe. In the treatment of low back pain some medical treatments are equally as safe but the literature suggested that chiropractic manipulation is safer than medical management of low back pain. In 1994 the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research of the US Department of Health and Human Services released clinical practice guidelines for the management of low back pain. Their findings included that the risk of serious complication from lumbar spinal manipulation was rare and that conservative treatment such as spinal manipulation should be pursued in most cases before considering surgical intervention.
Chiropractors use specific adjustments in order to relieve pain and stiffness in the neck, shoulders, back, arms, hands, chest, head, legs and feet as well as treat certain types of headaches, sciatica and scoliosis. People who suffer from sports injuries and musculoskeletal injuries such as tennis elbow and sprained joints and ligaments can also greatly benefit from the services of a chiropractor.
While chiropractors believe and emphasize that the first response should be non-surgical and non-invasive they are also trained to recognize when an injury is outside the scope of their practice. The question of the safety of spinal manipulation is one that must be answered on an individual basis. This means that under the care of a traditional medicine doctor people can also receive injuries and become sicker. The question then become is the doctor you are using experienced and knowledgeable in their own field.
RESOURCES
Science-Based Medicine: Chiropractic and Stroke
Chiropractic Stroke Awareness Group: The Scary Truth About Stroke
Spine: Risk Factors and Precipitating Neck Movements Causing Vertebrobasilar Artery Dissection after Cervical Trauma and Spinal Manipulation
Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine: Adverse Effects of Spinal Manipulation
Spine: Manipulation and Mobilization of the Cervical Spine
American Chiropractic Assosciation: Cervical Manipulation
American Chiropractic Association: Chiropractic: A Safe Treatment