Chiropractic care is recognized as one of the safest, non-invasive therapies available for the treatment of neuromuscular and skeletal complaints. Although chiropractic care has an excellent safety record, no therapeutic method is completely without some adverse incidents. The risks associated with chiropractic, however, are minimal.
WHAT DOES A CHIROPRACTOR DO FOR TREATMENT?
Chiropractic treatments usually involve spinal manipulation. Spinal manipulation uses pressure on a joint of the spine, this pressure comes from hands-on movement of the patient’s body, or even from various table-like devises that use the patient’s own weight and gravity to manipulate the spinal column. It is also called spinal adjustments. The chiropractic doctor uses specific, controlled force on the joints. This force can range from slow to rapid and gentle to strong. There are times when other joints of the body are also manipulated in a concerted effort to help treat the spine.
The goal of chiropractic treatment is to increase movement in the joint and relax the muscles that surround the spinal column. Other chiropractic modalities include the following:
- Corsets or braces.
- Heat and/or ice.
- Electrical stimulation.
- Ultrasound.
- Strength and conditioning exercises.
- Biofeedback.
- Relaxation therapy.
- Some chiropractors use X-rays to help diagnose conditions.
Chiropractic care employs both passive (treatment done to a patient) and active (treatment the patient assists in) modalities. The combination of both allows for a better chance of pain alleviation. Many patients feel immediate pain relief following a chiropractic treatment session, but some may feel like they just left the gym after exercising with mild soreness, stiffness or even some aching. Generally speaking, the minor discomfort or soreness following chiropractic care typically fades within 12- 24 hours.
Other symptoms of pain and discomfort are also treated by chiropractic care. Some headaches and neck pain are treated with cervical (vertebra in the neck region) manipulation. Cervical manipulation, also known as a neck adjustment, works to improve joint movement in the neck, increasing range of motion as well as decreasing the episodes of muscle spasm. All these skeletal and muscular mechanics can assist the body in relieve the body in stress or traumatically induced pressure and tension. The neck adjustment is one of the safest procedures in chiropractic care when performed by a skilled and experienced doctor of chiropractic.
The American Chiropractic Association has commented on some reports have associated upper neck manipulation with a certain rare kind of stroke, or vertebral artery dissection. The findings show that the patients have NO increased risk as compared to the public in general,
“However, evidence suggests that this type of arterial injury often takes place spontaneously in patients who have pre-existing arterial disease. These dissections have been associated with everyday activities such as turning the head while driving, swimming, or having a shampoo in a hair salon. Patients with this condition may experience neck pain and headache that leads them to seek professional care—often at the office of a doctor of chiropractic or family physician—but that care is not the cause of the injury. The best evidence indicates that the incidence of artery injuries associated with high-velocity upper neck manipulation is extremely rare—about one to three cases in 100,000 patients who get treated with a course of care. This is similar to the incidence of this type of stroke among the general population.
If you are visiting your doctor of chiropractic with upper-neck pain or headache, be very specific about your symptoms. This will help your doctor of chiropractic offer the safest and most effective treatment, even if it involves referral to another health care provider.
CHIROPRACTIC v. MEDICATION
It is important to discuss all the risks of a type of treatment with the health care provider offering the treatment and your chiropractor will be happy to talk with you about any and all issues and risks associated with their care. It is also important to understand what the risks are with the alternative medical treatment available for the same symptoms. When a patient experiences pain, it is important to weigh the risks of all available treatment, for example, the risks associated with some of the most common treatments for neck and back pain—prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) as well as prescription painkillers—are much more serious than those of chiropractic care.
Studies show that people who use these over-the-counter NSAIDS are three times (3x) more at risk than those who do not take these pain pills to develop gastrointestinal issues such as perforation or hemorrhage (bleeding). In persons who are older than 60, that risk rises to over five times (5x).
Additionally, the number of prescriptions high-dose prescription drugs such as oxycodone and hydrocodone have skyrocketed in the past decade or so. The Doctors of chiropractic are well trained professionals who provide patients with safe, effective care for a variety of common conditions. Chiropractors have been educated for many years in the identification and treatment of neck and back pain, as well as other symptoms and for over 100 years, the professions has helped tens of millions of people find relief from pain and suffering as a result of congenital or personal injury. Chiropractors also are trained to identify patients who express other risk factors and to make an appropriate referral to a medical specialist if necessary.