Do Chiropractors Really Help with Back Pain?

Millions of people suffer from back pain and many people, in spite of suffering from back pain themselves, are familiar with disorders such as sciatica, protrusions, disc herniation, headaches, whiplash, arthritis of various kinds, and sports injuries. The chiropractic discipline that takes its name from the fusion of two words that come from the Greek keir, (hand) and praxis (act) is effective with respect to these types of problems and in many other types of problems that people might suffer like asthma, depression and anxiety.

Chiropractic or "treatment by hand"

Chiropractic is a natural science that does not use drugs, but instead studies treatments through mechanics, and through the statics and dynamics of the human body. The method was originally developed by Daniel Palmer, also known as DD Palmer, a merchant enthusiast of philosophical therapeutics, a man of wit and sensitivity. Not being doctor, he still worked closely with the experts of the human anatomy. The motto of chiropractors, the same motto as its founder, is, “A subluxated vertebra is the cause of 95% of diseases...” The remaining 5% is caused by subluxations that do not relate to the spine. In the chiropractic alignment of the vertebrae the state of human health is determined.”

A professional chiropractor finds the cause of various ailments by investigating the irregular position of the vertebral joints. Everything goes through a careful review of the clinical history, x rays and the control of any particular test to assess the symmetry of the two halves of the body, posture and spine. At that point, the expert intervenes with a manual treatment specifically designed to correct abnormalities of the individual elements of the spine.

When do people go to chiropractors?

People go to the chiropractor when their back is out of alignment. It is here that the chiropractor tries to find the correct alignment of the vertebrae, investigate which vertebrae is affected by a sedentary lifestyle, poor posture, falls, accidents, or use of inappropriate footwear, but also emotional stress, psychological stress, poor diet, or poor occlusion of the jaw and teeth. When the alignment is lost, the spinal cord, brain, and spinal nerves are subjected to stresses that cause dysfunction. At this point, the chiropractor uses manual techniques that are completely painless to alleviate the pain and teach the patient the correct posture, which will help them in the future.

Generally a chiropractor’s cure is a series of 8-10 sessions, up until the musculoskeletal system can regain its balance, then periodic checks are used to prevent relapse. The treatment by the chiropractor consists of a quick and painless pressure on a specific vertebra. This sometimes generates the typical "crunch" sound, but there are also techniques without the crunch.

Can chiropractic work as prevention?

The clinical experience indicates that persons afflicted with chronic conditions such as, for example, osteoarthritis, chronic torticollis, lumbago or headaches, may benefit from regular chiropractic treatments and have a reduction of symptoms, both in frequency and in intensity. This also applies to people under stressful situations and those who work repetitive and tiring days. That chiropractic done regularly can prevent the appearance of back pain at all, or that can completely prevent the recurrence of symptoms, needs further study.

What are the differences between a doctor and a chiropractor?

This corresponds to the same questions as what is the difference between a doctor and a dentist. Both are different professions within the medical sphere. Both chiropractors and physicians are authorized to use the term "doctor" (in Italy, for the chiropractor, this is not possible). The term M.D. means "Doctor of Medicine," and the term D.C. means "Doctor of Chiropractic."

The role of chiropractic is complementary to that of the other medical arts and chiropractics does not replace medicine, but it can offer a viable alternative to medication and surgical operations under proper conditions.

The acceptance by the medical sciences of many of the health problems of modern society also depend on lifestyles, and has allowed us to realize that as individuals, we can influence our health and our well-being. Many people would like to thank the chiropractic attention and emphasis transmitted to the patient in order to improve the way of life and health and to improve since the functions of the body in fighting diseases.