8 Reasons Why Chiropractic Is Best for Back Pain

  • February 17, 2019

Low back pain is an expensive and frustrating problem for many adults. Nearly 80% of adults suffer from some kind of back problem and the total cost of this common health condition is about $240 billion a year in healthcare costs and lost productivity. Many patients get frustrated by medical care for their pain. Most medical doctors simply don't have the time to work with a patient with musculoskeletal complaints, and the most common treatments are medications and maybe some home exercises. Millions of people use chiropractic care to help themselves stay pain-free. Chiropractic uses spinal adjustments to restore your back's natural function and flexibility, and is a fantastic choice for relieving and preventing back pain. Here are eight reasons why chiropractic is a great solution for back pain:

  1. Chiropractic patients are less likely to use medications. The opiate epidemic in the US takes 150,000 lives every year, and many people are first exposed to these dangerous drugs after being prescribed them for back pain. Research shows that patients who see chiropractors are less likely to use drugs for their pain. That means fewer side-effects from medications and a dramatically reduced chance of getting addicted to pain medications.1
  2. Chiropractic is effective for acute pain. It is well-established in the scientific literature that chiropractic adjustments are an effective way to relieve new episodes of back pain. In fact, a review study2 by the AMA has found that chiropractic was an effective option for new episodes of back pain.
  3. Chiropractic is effective for chronic back pain. Research shows3 that chiropractic is also useful for patients who have been suffering from back pain for months or even years.
  4. Chiropractic is safe. Every intervention is going to have some risk, and this is true of chiropractic, as well. But the research4 shows that the vast majority of negative effects from chiropractic involve muscle soreness or pain that lasts a few hours after the adjustment. Compared to the ill effects of drugs or surgery, chiropractic is a much safer and effective approach to musculoskeletal pain. Research also shows that chiropractic care is safe for children.
  5. Chiropractic helps prevent future episodes of back pain. The philosophy of chiropractic is not to treat the symptoms, but to restore the body's balance and function so that you can avoid future pain. The research5 backs this up, showing that regular chiropractic maintenance adjustments are effective at preventing future back problems.
  6. Chiropractic is less expensive than medical care. We're all aware of the outrageous costs of medical care, and we all want to have health care that's effective and affordable. Chiropractic fits the bill in both regards. A number of studies6 have found that chiropractic for back pain costs less than medical care.
  7. Chiropractic can help prevent back surgery. Conservative, non-surgical care is always the preferred first step when dealing with low back pain, and even the American Medical Association7 has admitted that chiropractic adjustments are a good first line of treatment.
  8. Chiropractic is a whole-body approach. Most chiropractors don't just adjust your spine and send you on your way. Chiropractic is about maintaining your body's wellness, and that includes exercises and stretches that will help you be stronger, more flexible, and help prevent later episodes of back pain.

You don't have to suffer from low back pain. Chiropractic is a natural, non-drug treatment that's proven to be safe and effective.

  1. Whedon JM, Toler AWJ, Goehl JM, Kazal LA. Association Between Utilization of Chiropractic Services for Treatment of Low-Back Pain and Use of Prescription Opioids. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2018; Feb 22. doi: 10.1089/acm.2017.0131.
  2. Paige NM, Miake-Lye IM, Booth MS, Beroes JM, Mardian AS, Dougherty P, Branson R, Tang B, Morton SC, Shekelle PG. Association of Spinal Manipulative Therapy With Clinical Benefit and Harm for Acute Low Back Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. 2017;317(14);1451-1460. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.3086
  3. Descarreaux M, Blouin JS, Drolet M, Papadimitriou S, Teasdale N. Efficacy of preventive spinal manipulation for chronic low-back pain and related disabilities: a preliminary study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2004;27:509-514.
  4. Walker BF, et al. Outcomes of Usual Chiropractic; Harm (OUCH). A randomised controlled trial. Spine 2013; DOI: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e31829fefe4.
  5. Eklund A, Jensen I, Lohela-Karlsson M, Hagberg J, Leboeuf-Yde C, Kongsted A, Bodin L, Ax�n I. The Nordic Maintenance Care program: Effectiveness of chiropractic maintenance care versus symptom-guided treatment for recurrent and persistent low back pain-A pragmatic randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2018 Sep 12;13(9):e0203029. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203029. eCollection 2018. PubMed PMID: 30208070.
  6. Davis MA, et al. U.S. spending on complementary and alternative medicine during 2002-2008 plateaued, suggesting role in reformed health system. Health Affairs 2013;32(1):45-52.
  7. Goodman D, Burke A, Livingston E. Low back pain. JAMA Patient Page April 24, 2013; 309(16): 1738. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.3046.

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