For some people, the thought of lying atop a table as a chiropractor performs spinal manipulations is downright terrifying. A “crack” here, a “snap” there, who’s to know what could happen? Are chiropractic treatments truly safe?
Beginnings
Chiropractic treatments began in 1895 when Daniel David Palmer treated a janitor who had lost his hearing when something in his back “popped” 17 years earlier. Upon examination, Palmer found a vertebra that was misaligned and after Palmer moved it back into place, the janitor’s hearing improved. Palmer continued to develop chiropractic procedures and in 1897, opened the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, IA.
Since then, chiropractic care has become a trusted natural approach to healing the body. Most patients can find relief from pain and regain their range of motion through chiropractic adjustments instead of addictive painkillers and invasive surgeries.
Risks
Nothing in life, especially medical treatments, is without risk. Chiropractic treatments are no different. With adjustments to the neck, there is a less than 1 person per million who may suffer a stroke. To put this into perspective, your risk of death from prescription opioid pain medications is 53.6 per million and the risk of death from spine surgery is 1,800 per million.
Safety
Any kind of chiropractic treatment should always be performed by a board-certified licensed practitioner. Your initial meeting with your chiropractor should include an examination and possibly x-rays to determine whether or not chiropractic treatments will be a safe treatment for you and appropriate for your physical problem.
Benefits
Chiropractic adjustments can be effective for the treatment of pain associated with auto accident injuries, back and neck problems, shoulder injury, degenerative disorders, headaches, fibromyalgia, pinched nerves, vertigo, and injuries from a slip and fall. Treatments not only relieve pain, but they can also improve your balance and repair injuries to your central nervous system that can improve your immune system’s ability to fight off illness.
Pain medications target the cells, all cells regardless of where the injury is and they only mask the pain; they don’t fix it. Chiropractic treatments target the root of the problem because fixing that will lessen the pain or make it go away altogether.
At North County Pain Relief, our goal is complete functional rehabilitation, without the need for drugs or surgery. We take time to explain the process and work with you to find the best course of action to treat your injury. Our chiropractor, Dr. Adam Elsey, is a graduate of Logan College of Chiropractic where he received his Doctorate in Chiropractic Medicine and Bachelors of Science in Human Biology. He is board-certified in Chiropractic and Physiotherapy with many year’s experience treating patients looking for relief from pain.
Dr. Elsey has dedicated his practice to helping patients achieve optimal health naturally through chiropractic care which he does in a relaxed and caring environment. If you are experiencing short-term or chronic pain, call North County Pain Relief at (314) 731-4201 to schedule a consultation and see if chiropractic care can work for you.
