Top 5 Myths of Chiropractic Care

As chiropractors, we want to ensure that our patients leave our office feeling better and ready to take on the world. We also want to make sure that our patients, and prospective patients, trust in our specialized skills to improve their health. In this post, we will address a few falsehoods floating around about chiropractic care, and debunk a few of the myths that often scare people out of visiting a chiropractor.
Myth #1: Chiropractic care is expensive: According to a 2010 study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, patients suffering from back pain spent an average of 20% more when they visited a medical doctor versus a chiropractor. Multiple studies have shown that individuals who visit a medical doctor first are more likely to get a spinal surgery than if they had visited a chiropractor first. If you visit a chiropractor on a regular basis and keep your spine aligned, you are less likely going to need spinal surgery. You will actually save on the costs of surgery and rehabilitation.
Myth #2: Chiropractors are not real doctors: Chiropractors typically complete four years of pre-medical undergraduate studies. During this time, they learn about a variety of scientific fields. Upon completion of their pre-medical undergraduate studies, they are required to complete around five years of study at an accredited chiropractic college. During these five years, chiropractic students must complete at least 4,200 hours of study, including lecture and clinical training. Only once they complete all of this education can they practice as licensed chiropractors.
Myth #3: Adjustments crack your bones: Whenever you “crack” your knuckles, you hear a popping sound. This sound is caused by naturally-occurring air bubbles being released between the joints. The same is true when a chiropractor makes an adjustment to your back or neck. Any popping or cracking sounds is simply air bubbles being released, not your bones grinding or cracking.
Myth #4: Chiropractic care is not safe for children: Quite the contrary actually. Many studies have shown that chiropractic care for children is highly recommended, including chiropractic care for newborns. What chiropractors actually do is correct subluxations. Subluxations are disruptions in the spinal cord that interfere with how the rest of your body functions. The birthing process is one of the most common causes of subluxation because of the pulling and twisting doctors must do to help guide the baby out of the birth canal. This pulling and twisting can do serious damage to a baby’s neck and spine. Therefore, it is highly recommended that newborns are checked by a chiropractor to ensure that their spines are properly aligned and that their necks were not damage from the delivery process.
Myth #5: Chiropractic adjustments hurt: If a chiropractor is doing an adjustment correctly, there should be no pain. At the least, there may be brief discomfort. Any pain will be a direct result of your neck or back injury, not the chiropractic adjustment itself. Normally, patients leave a chiropractic office feeling very relaxed and happy about the adjustment.
Plain and simple, chiropractors are here to help you feel your best. If you have any questions regarding adjustments or chiropractic care for children, please call us at (702) 597-1181 and schedule a free consultation.