While we all have heard of chiropractors not many people truly understand what they actually do. I know I always thought they were the king of the crackpot doctors. It was after a good friend got his degree and became one that I truly realized that they are not all crackpots, just my buddy Tim!
If you look up define:chiropractic
on Google you will get several definitions but there was one that jumped off the page at me so I will use it here.
A system of therapy which aims to restore balance to the spine, muscle and nervous systems with the purpose of maintaining the body in good health. This may include the use of manipulative techniques of the spine, soft tissues and other joints of the body, as well as non-manipulative techniques such as Sacro-occipital and Activator techniques.
There are some people who swear by Chiropracters for everything, my sister is one of them. She has her weekly adjustments and when my nephew was born he had some problems that conventional medicine did not fix, clogged tear ducts. They took him to the chiropractor and after a few adjustments they were working again. Now whether the ducts worked themselves free naturally, which is what the pediatrician said would happen, or the adjustments worked I don't know, but she swears by them. I would also add that my sister has her PhD, so when she has an opinion it is usually well informed.
Now whether or not a chiropractor can truly relieve some of the symptoms of back pain I do not know but when you look at the root of most back pain I can see how some people would believe in them. While there are many different problems that can cause pain in the back most of them come down to something called Nerve Impingement. The picture in the link shows one type of this where a herniated disc is impinging on the nerve root as it leaves the spinal cord. This is where the pain comes from and needs to be relieved. Generally a doctor would probably go for the traditional route of physical therapy and perhaps either the medrol dose pack, which is taken orally or the more invasive method of injecting Depo-Medrol which is known as an Epidural Steroid Injection and helps to relieve some of the swelling at the sight of the herniation. This offers some relief but generally the pain will return after some time¹.
When these injections fail to offer relief it means that another method must be used and that typically means surgery where the doctor will perform a Laminectomy which is a procedure where part of the lamina² is removed to make room for the nerve root which will relieve the pain.
So what can a chiropractor do to offer relief from this? Chiropractors use a few tools in addition to the physical manipulation of the joints to achieve relief. Massage therapy, ultrasound, electrical stimulation and heat therapy are also used by the chiropractor to relieve the symptoms. These methods help break down the scar tissue and re-align the joints in hopes of relieving if not removing the source of pain.
Before a chiropractor goes to work on any back pain they should have a set of X-ray's taken and see exactly what they are working with. Once the doctor has done that they should discuss your situation with you and devise a plan for their treatment of your pain through adjustments and manipulation of the joints involved. An adjustment is force applied in a specific direction to a specific joint by the chiropractor.
One thing that is consistent with care under a chiropractor and a physician is that the patient must learn proper sitting and lifting methods can prevent unnecessary strain on your spine. Specific exercises may be given to help restrain the muscles that support your spine. Proper rest is also an important aspect of the healing process. Getting the appropriate amount of rest your body needs and avoiding sleeping on your stomach can be very beneficial.³
Now one thing I thought was important is that Chiropractors are not MD's and they are not required to complete medical school to practice. This also means that they are not allowed to prescribe medications. If you are in need of more then just an adjustment but would like to have the best of both worlds it might be worth your time and effort to search out an Osteopath. They will be the doctors listed with D.O. after their names rather then the M.D.
If you decide that a visit to the chiropractor is what you would like to do then I would suggest that you treat it as if you were visiting a physician for the first time and check with your states governing body for chiropractors. Here is a piece from the U.S. Department of Labors occupational outlook handbook.
An interesting read on chiropractors
¹- The relief offered by these injections will vary from patient to patient.
²- An anatomical portion of a vertebra. For each vertebra, two lamina connect the pedicles to the spinous process as part of the neural arch.
³- Spinal Manipulation
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