What Research Shows About the Effectiveness of Chiropractic Care
When it comes to chiropractic care, most people have tons of questions, particularly about its effectiveness. This is because this type of care might be uncommon for those who are usually seeking help from conventional medical doctors even if in reality chiropractic treatment methods have been around for centuries!
Chiropractors approach common health complaints like pain holistically so that they can help them provide even optimal results for their patients. By focusing on restoring the spine alignment and body balance they can even help prevent future health issues.
Let’s see what research shows about the effectiveness of chiropractic care.
Can Chiropractic Care Help Manage Pain?
Since pain is one of the leading reasons why people go to see a chiropractor, you may be wondering whether there is supporting evidence for its effectiveness in pain management. Here are a few promising numbers that show that chiropractic techniques are among the best choices for pain relief and management:
- As explained in a study published in Spine 2013, manipulative therapy (a common chiropractic treatment) can reduce acute low back pain and improve mobility in patients between the ages of 18 and 35 more effectively than standard medical care.
- According to research found in BMJ Open 2019, seeing a chiropractor for low back pain can decrease the need for opioid use to a great extent (over 90%) both in the short and long term. It is an incredible result that definitely should not be ignored.
- The American College of Physicians developed some recommendations regarding the treatment of low back pain. These include that patients who are suffering from chronic low back pain should first opt for nonpharmacologic treatment options like spinal manipulation (a chiropractic treatment option) before they try other more invasive techniques.
Is Chiropractic Care Better Than Other Treatment Options?
As you can see from the evidence provided above, chiropractic care can offer great benefits in managing common pain-related issues, such as low back pain, neck pain, or even headaches. But is chiropractic care better than other treatment options? Here are two examples that demonstrate that chiropractic treatment techniques can reduce the need for other interventions and can even save money for patients.
- In regards to workers who had sustained a back injury, interestingly, only 1.5% of those who saw a chiropractor as their first provider had to undergo surgery. On the other hand, about 42% of those workers whose first provider was a surgeon had surgery. (Cited by Spine 2012)
- Chiropractic care seems to be a less costly solution for those who are suffering from low back pain. According to a study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2010, seeing a chiropractor instead of a medical doctor for pain can save up to 40% in expenditure. Moreover, recovery time is also reported to be shorter with chiropractic treatments than in the case of conventional methods.
Seeing a CBP-Certified Chiropractor May Be One of Your Best Options
Clearly, the results of the studies conducted about the effectiveness of chiropractic care are encouraging. Chiropractic treatments can help you recover from the pain and address other common health issues. If you are looking for the best possible treatment, consider seeing a chiropractor specializing in Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP), a scientifically validated protocol that can provide for you even greater, long-lasting results.
Our team at Advanced Spine and Posture is CBP-certified. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We can help you reach your highest health potential! Schedule today online or give us a call at one of our locations.