The work of the chiropractor has become more and more accepted throughout the years, although chiropractic care is nothing new. The norm used to be that a large percentage of medical doctors would not recommend chiropractic services for their patients for a variety of reasons. Now, however, this type of care is much more accepted by many people, including the medical community. In fact, recent statistics show that each year chiropractors see 27 million people of all ages, including children.
Chiropractic benefits have been acknowledged over the years as larger numbers of the population have reached out to a chiropractor for various reasons. The most common complaint that will bring a patient to seek chiropractic care is back or neck pain, which could be the result of any one of a number of causes. As a matter of fact, it is surmised that, at one time or another during their lives, 80% of the public will experience some type of back problem. It is also a known fact that, of Americans under the age of 45 who are disabled, the main cause of their disability is some kind of back pain.
Patients who seek the services of a chiropractor for chronic pain have typically been experiencing this pain for a period of more than 12 weeks. Pain lasting this long, and longer, is pain that is classified as chronic. Chronic pain can be pain that was originally caused by an injury resulting from an accident, and, often a sports injury. Chiropractic care for sports injuries is extremely common. When an athlete experiences back pain due to a sports injury, it is usually in the way of strained muscles or possibly sprained ligaments. Because a person’s back is open to a good deal of exaggerated motion when performing most sports, a back injury while participating in any type of game is a high risk. Knowing this, many sports experts require that athletes wear certain kinds of protective equipment in order to protect parts of the body that are wide open to injury. If and when injury does occur, it is common for there to be ongoing chiropractic care following treatment by medical professionals.
Chiropractic care is known to do wonders for accident victims as well. Whether the patient has been involved in a traffic accident, a work related accident, an accident in the home, or has injuries resulting from any type of mishap, chiropractor services are known to provide tremendous relief over time. Because the symptoms of accident injuries are extremely varied, it is important for patients to understand the way chiropractic is done. It is a form of healthcare in which there is no use of drugs or surgery. It is all natural, using spinal adjustments to correct muscles and nerves in the back and neck that have become out of line and painful. It is all about allowing the body to heal itself.
Depending upon the nature of the injury or pain, a chiropractor will manipulate the spine, touching on the areas that need the most attention. These will be the spots that are out of line, even inflamed, and are found to be the cause of the pain. Upon allowing a chiropractor to analyze and treat the point of discomfort, many patients will feel at least a little bit of immediate relief. There are also many instances where, upon the first adjustment by a chiropractor, a patient has experienced tremendous relief.
With chiropractic care being focused on the body’s natural healing capabilities, many chiropractors go the route of natural health care as a whole. A chiropractor is not only educated in the makeup of the human body and musculoskeletal system, but is trained to recommend appropriate exercise and nutritional information as well. Their expertise does not begin and end with the back and neck, they also address pain and problems that cause headaches and pain throughout the body, including the arms and legs. Every area of the human body is somehow connected to the spinal column, and much of the pain experienced anywhere in the body can be traced right to a misalignment in the back. Often medical doctors and chiropractors will work together in the recommendation of the proper care for a patient.