A great many people suffer from chronic back pain. Often, the medical community has suggested pills as a solution—anything from ibuprofen to narcotic pain medication.
However, using pills to treat back pain is often not effective. Many people experience little or no relief; others report that over time, the pills stop working; and some even find that their pain gets worse. In addition, narcotic pain medication carries a high risk for dependency and addiction.
Chiropractic offers a different approach to treating back pain. It’s non-narcotic, non-surgical, and can be very effective.
Often, back pain comes from your spine being out of alignment—your bones and joints not lining up properly. Misalignment can be the result of anything from a traumatic accident like a car crash to the normal wear and tear of everyday living. As you can imagine, a spine that is out of alignment can lead to a great deal of discomfort. Improperly aligned bones create extra pressure on the back, leading to pain, and can also constrict blood flow to the area.
A typical visit to the chiropractor involves you lying on a table while the chiropractor makes gentle adjustments to your spine. A skilled chiropractor knows how to read your body, and adjust his or her treatment to meet your specific needs. Chiropractic adjustments rarely cause any physical discomfort; indeed, most of my patients experience a near-immediate sense of relief.
Of course, one visit to the chiropractor isn’t likely to lead to any long-term reduction in pain symptoms. It’s a process: one you should commit to regularly if you want to structurally support your body in achieving lasting relief. Back pain is complex, and rarely the result of one specific issue—there are often emotional, as well as physical components that need to be addressed. A combination of modalities, ranging from chiropractic to therapy to yoga, often works best.
But I believe chiropractic offers a far safer and more useful approach to treating back pain than narcotic pain medication—one that anyone struggling with back pain should consider trying.