According to the World Health Organization, 80% of people experience back pain at some point in their life and seek medical treatment to deal with their pain. Chiropractic has been proven over and over again to be an effective, safe, and natural solution to back pain. However, many misconceptions about what chiropractic care is and isn’t stop people from seeking help from a chiropractor.
We wanted to play our own little version of Myth Busters this week, and settle once and for all, 8 myths about chiropractic care.
Myth 1: Chiropractic doctors don’t have as much schooling as medical doctors
Reality: Doctors of Chiropractic complete at least six years of full time university education, which is on par with any other type of doctor. A chiropractor’s goal is to naturally support the body’s own healing by restoring nerve function in the spine.
Myth 2: Chiropractic adjustments are painful
Reality: In general, adjustments do not hurt. Most patients actually report immediate pain relief!
Myth 3: Chiropractors shove bones into place
Reality: This erroneous myth likely originated from the clicking sound that sometimes happens during an adjustment. This sound is actually the movement of gas in fluid in your joints as they get stretched, just like when you pop your knuckles! Adjustments are similar to stretches, except they are done at a specific point, at high speed, in order to stimulate the nervous system.
Myth 4: Chiropractic is not safe
Reality: You actually have a greater chance of getting struck by lighting than you do of experiencing a serious adverse side effect from a chiropractic adjustment. In fact, chiropractors have some of the lowest malpractice insurance premiums of any registered health care professional because of the profession’s safety record.
Myth 5: Chiropractic Care is Expensive
Reality: Chiropractic care is not only affordable and covered by most insurances, it also keeps you healthier! Of patients whose primary physician is a chiropractor, 60% experience less hospital admissions, 59% spend less days in the hospital, 62% experience less outpatient surgery, and 85% spend less in pharmaceutical costs. Ask yourself, can you really afford to not see a chiropractor?
Myth 6: Chiropractic Doctors Only Treat Back Pain
Reality: Chiropractors treat the entire nervous system. When the nervous system is not functioning as it should, patients experience headaches, allergies, high blood pressure, anxiety, insomnia, shoulder pain, sciatica, and the list goes on and on. Chiropractic goes far beyond treating back pain, as it treats overall wellness.
Myth 7: Once you go to a chiropractor, you have to go for the rest of your life
Reality: The amount of chiropractic care a patient utilizes is at their discretion, as with any doctor. While we encourage patients to have their spine checked regularly, it is ultimately the patient’s responsibility to decide whether they wish to use chiropractic for wellness care or relief care!
Myth 8: Chiropractic is unscientific
Reality: Chiropractic is based on sound scientific principles. It has been scientifically proven over and over again that the nervous system controls and regulates every single cell and tissue in the body, and that the nervous system is housed in the spine. When the spine becomes misaligned, it has also been proven that the nervous system does not function as it should. Chiropractic care helps patients take control of their health through a natural approach.
