Back pain is all too common. It is one of the most common complaints at doctor’s offices all around the country! Many people turn to a chiropractor for their back problems — but do you really know much about chiropractic care?
Humans have been practicing chiropractic healing for thousands of years — at least as far back as ancient Egypt! The oldest school of chiropractic thought believed that out of place bones along the spine (known as subluxations) are to blame for most diseases. This belief was picked up by Daniel David Palmer, who founded the modern practice of chiropractic care in the late 1800s.
Most modern chiropractors don’t necessarily blame misalignment for all health problems. But there is a certain logic to looking at the spine for many issues. The spine is the main conduit of the central nervous system. A subluxation can cause physical issues like muscle spasms, headache, and muscle tension; it can also interfere with nerve impulses traveling to other parts of the body.
In other words, a misalignment in your spine could mean that your nervous system isn’t functioning at its best.
Chiropractors are often the best choice for treating two things: back pain and addiction. That first one might be kind of obvious; the second one might not be. But studies have shown that people who get chiropractic care as part of a drug rehabilitation program are more likely to complete the program! Experts aren’t exactly sure why this is. It may be that spinal cord adjustments allow the nervous system to function more normally — without the assistance of drugs.
Back pain is probably the number one reason for a person to seek a chiropractor. Traditional treatments (like medication, bed rest, and surgery) often don’t do much for back pain. A chiropractic treatment may not be a cure-all for back pain, but it is pretty good for treating back pain. The American Medical Association and many medical insurance companies accept chiropractic treatment as a good treatment choice for uncomplicated back pain.