Chiropractic Care: A safe way to heal the body

There are a lot of misconceptions about chiropractic. Forget the rumors you’ve heard about chiropractors, and learn the facts about this safe and effective path to wellness.

Chiropractic care is not new.
Spinal adjustments aren’t a new-age fad. The Greeks and Chinese were writing about chiropractic manipulations as far back as 2700 BCE. Even the Greek doctor Hippocrates wrote about the importance of spinal manipulations.

The practice began to take formal shape in the late 1800s. Today, chiropractic has become an important part of the health-care landscape. Medicare, Medicaid, and other government health care programs recognize and cover chiropractic care.

Chiropractors are trained health care professionals.
Chiropractic students attend schools with curricula just as demanding as those of medical students. Courses include instruction in anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. Each candidate completes a residency program under the supervision of experienced chiropractic doctors. After successfully completing a program, the student receives a Doctor of Chiropractic degree, or D.C.

All chiropractors must pass a minimum of four tests that are administered by a national board. To maintain their licenses, these health care professionals must also take a specific number of continuing education credits each year, and a chiropractor must meet licensing requirements for the state in which he or she practices. This rigorous training ensures that a licensed chiropractor is qualified to help you achieve the wellness you’re looking for.

Chiropractic methods are safe.
Conventional medical therapies can have many hazards. Even a treatment as commonplace as taking Tylenol for a headache can carry risks: In 2005, the American Journal of Gastroenterology published a study showing that more than one-third of acute liver failures are linked to acetaminophen misuse. Surgical procedures carry their own perils, including pain, infection, and even death.

In contrast, spinal adjustments are drug-free and non-invasive. Numerous studies published in peer-reviewed journals have found chiropractic care to be a safe treatment for a variety of conditions. According to one study that looked into the incidence of stroke in chiropractic patients, there is a higher risk of getting into a car accident on the way to the appointment than having a serious reaction to spinal adjustments.

If you’re looking for a low-risk, drug- and scalpel-free way to treat aches and pains and improve overall wellness, make an appointment to see a qualified chiropractor.

 

References
Haldeman S, Carey P, Townsend M, Papadopoulos C. Arterial dissections following cervical manipulation: the chiropractic experience. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 2001 Oct 2;165(7):905-6.

Lanas A, et al. A nationwide study of mortality associated with hospital admission due to severe gastrointestinal events and those associated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2005;100:1685–1693.

Lauretti W. The Comparative Safety of Chiropractic. In Daniel Redwood, ed., Contemporary Chiropractic. New York: Churchill Livingstone, 1997, p. 230-8.