Have you or someone you know ever experienced the debilitating life interruption of a strained lower back? Well, you have lotsof company. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, about 80% of adults experience low back pain at some point in their lives. In fact, it’s the most common cause of work-related disabilities. Although both over-the-counter and prescription medications (including opioids) are often used as a first line of defense in treating back pain, times are changing. The American College of Physicians now recommend spinal manipulation as the first course of treatment for individuals suffering from this and other types of chronic pain.
Chiropractic is a medical specialty that focuses on how the body’s structure, primarily the spine, relates to its overall function. In chiropractic care, hands-on spinal manipulation is used to realign joints and optimize the body’s ability to heal itself. Commonly used to alleviate back pain, chiropractic is also used to treat neck pain, headaches, nerve issues, injuries to the joints of the upper and lower extremities, and fibromyalgia.
While spinal manipulation is the core component of chiropractic care, other treatments include heat and ice, electrical stimulation, lifestyle, exercise, and nutrition counseling. Chiropractic care is often combined with other therapies, including traditional medicine, massage, and acupuncture, to help patients manage pain and return to normal function.
A 2017 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that spinal manipulative therapy “was associated with statistically significant benefits in both pain and function,” when used to treat low back pain.
If you think you might benefit from chiropractic care, be sure to search SimplaFYI’s Practitioner Community to find a vetted practitioner, typically offering preferred pricing to SimplaFYI members.
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Written by: Carol Swanson, a health & wellbeing writer located in Rhode Island
Carol can be reached at:cegoodswan@gmail.com
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