With more than 85,000 chiropractors worldwide, chiropractic care is the third largest primary care health profession, trailing behind traditional medicine and dentistry in the first and second spots. Even with the large-scale use of chiropractic care worldwide, there still seems to be confusion about what chiropractors do and don’t do. This confusion, unfortunately, causes many people to make hasty judgments about the benefits of chiropractic care in their particular situations. If you’re considering working with a chiropractor but still have questions regarding treatment modalities, we’ll help you to separate the truth from the myths so that you can make informed decisions.
Myth: Once you go to a chiropractor, you’ll be going for the rest of your life. This is not true. Would you continue to seek medication from a physician once the condition has been effectively treated? Probably not. The same holds true with chiropractic care. Once a condition is successfully resolved, there’s no reason to continue with treatment. Depending on your needs, a chiropractor will suggest a course of treatment that works best for you. Many people choose to get treatment and never seek chiropractic care again. Others may seek periodic treatment, such as athletes. Still, others seek periodic checkups with their chiropractor just as they do their physicians and dentists, just to make sure that their bodies are in optimal condition.
Myth: Chiropractors crack your bones. Not true. While you’re likely to hear cracking or popping sounds when you get a chiropractic manipulation, what you’re hearing is not the bones but the opening of the joint space. Chiropractors do not manipulate your bones; they manipulate your joints, or, more specifically, the joint’s connective tissue. However, the adjustment is not always necessary. Chiropractors may also give nutritional counsel, perform soft tissue work, offer ergonomics counsel, and suggest an exercise that may give you relief.
Fact: Chiropractic manipulation is safe. According to medical studies, serious injury resulting directly from chiropractic care is less than 0.01%, far less than is expected when compared to traditional modern medicine. Chiropractic care is a safe, alternate form of treatment to traditional medical care or as an adjunct to existing medical treatment.
Fact: Chiropractic care may benefit all individuals. Chiropractic care is indicated in a variety of individuals, ranging from the very young to the very old. Chiropractors treat children, individuals who have sustained injuries, office workers who experience aches and pains from sitting in one position on a daily basis, and professional athletes, just to name a few.
Chiropractic care was founded in the United States in 1895 and, according to The Chiropractic Report is, “a health profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disorders of the musculoskeletal system, and the effects of these disorders on the nervous system and general health.” If you experience neck pain, back pain, headaches, or injuries resulting from any type of activity, chiropractic care may be beneficial to you.
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