9 Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Back Pain

Find out why people are choosing chiropractic care for back pain over expensive and addictive medical treatments.

Chiropractic care involves non-surgical treatment alleviating pain from muscles, connective tissues, bones, and joints. It’s a complementary treatment involving applying pressure to the spine and other joints. The hand pressure helps realign bones and promotes self-healing without the need for surgery or medicine. We discuss the benefits of chiropractic care for back pain.

About 15% to 20% of adults experience back pain every year. Up to 80% of the population experiences back pain at some point in their lives. This problem can affect anyone, from teenagers to elderly adults. It’s even a leading cause of missed days at work.

More Americans are now choosing chiropractic care for back pain over expensive and addictive medical treatments. That’s because of the many health benefits associated with this alternative treatment. Here are the nine benefits of chiropractic care for back pain.

1. Reduces Reliance on Expensive and Addictive Pain Medication

Chiropractic care reduces the need to take opioid pain relievers. These medications aren’t just expensive, but they can also be highly addictive. If you take them regularly, they can cause physical and mental side effects.

2. Chiropractic Adjustment Is a Non-Invasive Treatment

Spinal manipulation is less invasive than steroids and surgery. It also involves less risk than medical treatment. The American College of Physicians recommends that patients with short-term back pain first seek non-invasive treatment. They should only seek medical treatment if the spinal manipulation fails to work.\

3. Chiropractic Treatments Effectively Relieve Back Pain

Chiropractic treatment can help with:

Lower Back Pain Relief

While 80% of Americans experience back pain during their life, surgeries and medications can become costly and sometimes ineffective at alleviating discomfort. Chiropractic adjustments can reduce this pain using non-invasive techniques. They are also cheaper than other forms of pain management. 

Upper Back and Shoulder Pain Relief

Upper back pain can result from injuries or repetitive stress from poor sitting posture or bending down for too long. Chiropractic care is a whole-body treatment. Therefore, a chiropractor can work your upper back just as well as your lower back.

Healing and Pain Relief for Back Injuries

After an injury, doctors recommend mild exercises to keep your joints flexible and improve mobility. Chiropractic care helps to stretch your injured tissues and prevent them from becoming stiff. This promotes quick healing and pain relief.

Reducing the Likelihood of Chronic Back Pain in the Future

Pain relievers only relieve pain for a short period, but chiropractic care gets to the root cause of the pain. Hence, it promotes healing and prevents future instances of back pain.

4. Tension Headache and Migraine Relief

Migraine and tension headaches may be caused by a misaligned spine or by back pain. Spinal manipulations affect the way nerves send signals throughout the body. They also help to improve blood flow in the nervous system. So, with proper chiropractic care, communication between your brain and body will improve, relieving you from tension headaches. 

A 2016 review showed that chiropractic adjustment is moderately effective in relieving migraines.

5. Improved Mobility and Range of Motion

A chiropractic adjustment helps relieve muscle tensions, which increases mobility. It can help those who don’t exercise regularly to get muscle flexibility. After a chiropractic session, most patients experience improved mobility, which can help them perform better in athletics and day-to-day activities.

6. Reduced Inflammation

Chiropractic work helps realign your spine and improve the functioning of your nerves. Consequently, your body reduces the production of neuropeptides, which stops inflammation. Chiropractic care can also help reduce the production of cytokines that are responsible for body tissue inflammation.

7. Improved Posture

Chiropractic care can help correct poor sitting posture. Patients who have poor posture can get a hunchback (hyperkyphosis). As a result, they may have problems with sitting correctly. But after correcting the poor posture with chiropractic care, they’ll have fewer difficulties sitting upright.

8. Nervous System Function

Spinal adjustment ensures proper alignment, less inflammation, fewer blockages, and reduced nerve stress. All these improve blood and fluid movement in the nervous system, promoting proper functioning.

9. Chiropractic Care Is More Affordable than Surgery and Other Invasive Medical Treatments

A 2016 study showed that patients who preferred chiropractic care incurred lower treatment costs than those who chose medical treatment. Surgery is usually expensive and risky. It also takes longer to recover from surgery.

Are There Risks Associated with Chiropractic Adjustment?

Generally, chiropractic care is safe if it involves a competent chiropractor. Risks and complications are rare. But sometimes, the following may occur:

• Worsening of a herniated disc
• Nerve compression
• Stroke in case of neck manipulation

Generally, chiropractic care is safe. However, you may be at higher risk if you are adjusted by those who aren’t properly trained or licensed. Only those with the proper accreditation should treat you. 

Who Can Benefit from Going to a Chiropractor for Back Pain?

Chiropractic care is appropriate for people of all ages who have lower back pain, neck pain, and headache. But screening is necessary to determine the risk of this treatment. If your chiropractor doesn’t think you’re a good candidate, they can refer you to an alternative health care provider.

Most people who seek chiropractic care are female and adults ranging from 45 to 64 years old. If you have experienced a traumatic event like an accident, you should also visit a chiropractor for a checkup.

Back pain is common in people with psychological stress, obesity, and those who participate in sports. If you sit for too long with poor posture, you’re also likely to have back pain. Therefore, you should visit a chiropractor to adjust any misaligned joints and prevent future back pain.

When Not to See a Chiropractor for Back Pain

Patients with the following should consult a physician prior to treatment:

• (Inflammatory) arthritis 
• Osteoporosis, 
• Fragile health, 
• Slipped discs, 
• Spinal and physical fractures
• Spinal cord compression
• On blood thinners
• Those with a cancer history

If you have an injury like a fracture or a physical abnormality, chiropractic care may not work well. Let your chiropractor know about your symptoms and medical history to help determine the best treatment plan for your condition.

Conclusion

Chiropractic care is a less risky but effective treatment for back pain. This non-invasive treatment is less expensive than surgery and medication. As a complementary treatment, it’s free from the side effects that you get with opioid pain relievers. Other than relieving pain, this treatment improves mobility and facilitates quick recovery from injuries. 

These are the benefits of chiropractic care for back pain.

Dr. Darren Faherty D.C.

In 2004, Dr. Darren Faherty graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology from UWEC - University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. Dr. Darren continued education at the highly esteemed University of Western States (formerly Western States Chiropractic College) where he obtained his chiropractic degree in 2007. He has been helping people recover from injuries and return to their normal lifestyles ever since.