A Car Accident Doctor Can Perform Chiropractic Manipulations to Treat Low Back Pain

Car crashes can affect the back and potentially result in recurring low back pain, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Medicine, such as ibuprofen and mefenamic acid, may temporarily alleviate pain, but many patients who are tired of the discomfort of their injuries seek out alternative treatments like chiropractic. A car accident doctor usually offers chiropractic manipulation techniques to treat back pain; however, some patients are unsure of how manipulation can help them. To allay your doubts, here are the latest scientific evidence on the effectiveness and safety of spinal manipulation methods.

Overview of Chiropractic Manipulation

Spinal manipulation, also called spinal manipulative therapy, may be executed by hand or with devices. Manipulation consists of applying a controlled force on the affected joint of the spine. The force relies on the type of manipulation to be applied, while the main goals are to ease pain and encourage better back functionality.

Furthermore, spinal manipulation can either be a high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust or a low-force gentle massage. The quick thrust type typically creates a popping sound. Low-force mobilization, on the contrary, applies slow or gentle joint adjustments. Mobilization may be more vigorous though when the muscles are particularly tense and tight.

Safety of Chiropractic Manipulation

A number of scientific reviews have concluded that spinal manipulation for low back pain is generally safe when conducted by a trained and licensed health practitioner. Sometimes, a patient may feel minor soreness or tiredness on the manipulated area, but these effects usually go away in a day or so. Spinal mobilization is likewise safe as it consists of gentle thrusts only.

Effectiveness of Chiropractic Manipulation

Several studies in the past ten years have indicated that spinal manipulation and mobilization offer mild to moderate pain relief from low back pain including those from car crash injuries. A 2016 randomized controlled trial learned that spinal manipulation and mobilization are effective treatments to neck and back pain as majority of the patients stated that they felt lower pain intensity and less pain-related disability. Not only is pain moderately or significantly reduced, they could also move better with less sore backs.

Furthermore, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), other reviews showed that manipulation is effective for both chronic and acute low back pain. When combined with conventional treatments of physical therapy and home exercise, spinal manipulation successfully addressed chronic low back pain.

There is no doubt that chiropractic manipulation is effective and safe since these are backed by credible scientific reviews. Consult with a trained and licensed car accident doctor who is experienced in dealing with different types of back injuries to learn more about these modalities.

Sources:

“Low Back Pain Fact Sheet,” NINDS.NIH.gov
“Spinal Manipulation for Low-Back Pain,” NCCIH.NIH.gov
“Three combinations of manual therapy techniques within naprapathy in the treatment of neck and/or back pain: a randomized controlled trial,” NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov

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.