Pain Management and Chiropractic Care: How Are the Two Related?

Pain management for an injury or condition is challenging on its own. When the musculoskeletal system is involved, the adverse impact of pain on health can be devastating. The spine is the core of the body’s foundation, necessary for functions like upright posture and movement. There are many research studies to show that chiropractic care is clinically effective and safe. How does the natural, holistic, and drug-free approach of chiropractic treatment correlate with effective pain management? Continue reading to find out.

The fundamentals of chiropractic care

Chiropractic care involves non-invasive procedures for musculoskeletal disorders in the spine and other areas of the body. For instance, when there is an issue with the knee or hips, chiropractors will often try to discover spinal misalignment problems; perhaps there is a particular vertebra mispositioned or deviation from the structural nature of the spine.

If there are issues with the spine’s alignment, patients may experience chronic pain in different parts of the body. Being unable to pinpoint the origin of chronic pain can leave patients worried, and the chiropractor can help alleviate these concerns.

Even if a musculoskeletal condition did not cause the pain, patients could still benefit from chiropractic care for pain management. Patients with diabetes often experience nerve pain and tingling in the extremities. Chiropractic care can be beneficial to restore normal nerve function in those areas. Also, the widespread pain suffered by fibromyalgia patients has its origin in the nervous system, which is intricately connected to the musculoskeletal system.

Supporting research for chiropractic care and pain management

According to research published by the American College of Physicians, the first line of treatment for patients with acute or chronic back pain should be nonpharmacologic or drug-free. The research backs the effectiveness of treatment alternatives from the chiropractor, including spinal manipulation, exercise, progressive relaxation, massage, and superficial heat.

In a 2003 study published by the British Medical Journal, 183 participants with neck pain were randomly divided into manual therapy, physiotherapy, or general clinical care over 52 weeks. The result showed that those in manual therapy recovered faster than participants in physiotherapy and general clinical care. Also, the costs of manual therapy were lower than the cost of the other groups.

In 2012, a study published in the Spine journal examined the frequency, pattern, and indicators of seeking chiropractic care in the U.S. The researchers discovered that back pain and neck pain were the most common reasons people sought chiropractic consultation. Most of those patients noted that they experienced significant improvements to the condition and better general wellbeing.

Final note

Pain is not something to endure, and everyone should get a chance to seek pain management. All around the world, especially in the United States, there is a growing concern about the prevalence of addiction to pain meds. Professionals in chiropractic care and other medical fields emphasize the need for drug-free interventions for pain management. By adopting chiropractic care, patients with chronic pain can escape the ordeals of pain meds and live productive, pain-free lives.

Get more information here: https://spine-chiropractic.com or call Spine Chiropractic at (423) 910-2302

Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Read our Yelp reviews.