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Chiropractic Care
CHIROPRACTIC SAFETY STUDIESWhy Should I See A Chiropractor
Ill or in any discomfort or pain - Symptons are a sign that your body is struggling to maintain it's balance or
homeostasis. You need a healthy spinal-nerve relationship more than ever!
In any accident or trauma - Car accidents or simple falls cause severe spinal stress and result in numerous sublaxations. A fall even as a toddler or young child can cause or contribute to health problems later in life.
Competing in sports - Chiropractic gives you the edge. Many Olympic and professional athletes wouldn't dream of entering competition without first seeing their Chiropractor.
Pregnant - Pregnancy is a time of hormonal changes that "loosen" your ligaments, preparing for birth. This loosening however can weaken your spine. Breech presentations have been observed to correct themselves with chiropractic care.
A new mother - The process can be very traumatic for the mother's spine.
A baby - The birth process can be very traumatic for the baby and create spinal distortions; subluxations may
be created that can effect the baby's health.
A child - Chiropractic can have a positive influence on brain function. All children and especially those with problems such as hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, asthma, concentration, reading or math problems, vision problems and other conditions can benefit from chiropractic care.
Walking with both feet pointing out or in; toe walking (usually seen in children).
Having one jaw muscle tighter (more sensitive to pressure) than the other. (Feel muscle between jaw and ear).
Under a lot of stress - Physical, emotioinal and chemical stresses are tough on your spine-nerve system.
Alive and have a spine and want to improve and maintain your health naturally, without surgery or drugs.
Chiropractic spinal adjustments are extremely safe when performed by chiropractors. In
fact, chiropractic adjustments are among the safest treatments for most back and neck
problems. According to a 1993 Ontario Ministry of Health commissioned study,
"There is no clinical or case-control study that demonstrates or even implies that
chiropractic spinal manipulation is unsafe in the treatment of low-back pain. Some medical
treatments are equally safe, but others are unsafe and generate iatrogenic (doctor-induced)
complications for low-back pain patients. Our reading of the literature suggests that
chiropractic manipulation is safer than medical management of low-back pain."
Lead investigator of the study, Pran Manga, Ph.D., however, did warn that spinal
adjustments performed by health care professionals other than qualified doctors of
chiropractic were potentially harmful and less effective:
"Indeed, several existing medical therapies of low-back pain are generally contraindicated
on the basis of the existing clinical trials. There is also some evidence in the literature to
suggest that spinal manipulations are less safe and less effective when performed by
nonchiropractic professionals."
On December 8, 1994, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) of the US
Department of Health and Human Services released clinical practice guidelines for the
management of acute low back pain. Their guidelines were developed after extensive study
of the diagnostic and treatment methods used for acute low back pain. Their findings
included:
• The risk of serious complications from lumbar spinal manipulation is rare;
• Conservative treatment such as spinal manipulation should be pursued in most cases
before considering surgical intervention;
• Prescription drugs such as oral steroids, antidepressant medications and colchicine are
not recommended for acute low back problems.
MORE CHIROPRACTIC SAFETY STUDIES
Chiropractic treatments are extremely safe for people of all ages. Unfortunately, some
critics of chiropractic care have attempted to manipulate the public into thinking chiropractic
treatments are dangerous. Nothing could be further from the truth. Chiropractic treatments
are among some of the safest treatments used in the health care field.
Read what Canadian researchers stated after performing the largest analysis of scientific
literature on the most effective and cost effective treatments for low back pain:
"Chiropractic manipulation is safer than medical management of low back
pain. Chiropractic management is greatly superior to medical management
in terms of scientific validity, safety, cost-effectiveness and patient
satisfaction."
The Manga Report
The Ontario Ministry of Health commissioned Manga Report represents the largest analysis
of scientific literature on the most effective and cost effective treatments for low back pain.
After reviewing all of the international evidence on the management of low back pain, lead
investigator Pran Manga, Ph.D., found the treatments provided by Doctors of Chiropractic
were exceptionally safe - much safer than for standard medical treatments of similar
conditions.
• "There is no clinical or case-control study that demonstrates or even implies
that chiropractic spinal manipulation is unsafe in the treatment of low back
pain. Some medical treatments are equally safe, but others are unsafe and
generate iatrogenic (doctor-induced) complications for low back pain patients.
Our reading of the literature suggests that chiropractic manipulation is safer
than medical management of low back pain."
• "Indeed, several existing medical therapies of low back pain are generally
contraindicated on the basis of the existing clinical trials. There is also some
evidence in the literature to suggest that spinal manipulations are less safe
and less effective when performed by nonchiropractic professionals"
• "Chiropractic manipulation is safer than medical management of low
back pain. Chiropractic management is greatly superior to medical
management in terms of scientific validity, safety, cost-effectiveness
and patient satisfaction."
The Effectiveness and Cost Effectiveness of Chiropractic Management of Low-Back Pain (The Manga Report). Pran Manga and Associates
(1993) - University of Ottawa, Canada.
The Agency on Health Care Policy and Research Study
On December 8, 1994, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) of the US
Department of Health and Human Services released Clinical Practice Guidelines for the
management of acute low back pain. Their guidelines were developed after extensive study
of diagnostic and treatment methods for acute low back pain.
The guidelines were created by the AHCPR panel to provide primary care clinicians with
information and recommended strategies for the assessment and treatment of acute low
back problems. The AHCPR panel was made up of 23 members consisting of medical
doctors, chiropractic doctors, nurses, experts in spinal research, physical therapists, an
occupational therapist, a psychologist, and a consumer representative.
Their findings included:
• The risk of serious complications from lumbar spinal manipulation is rare;
• Conservative treatment such as spinal manipulation should be pursued in
most cases before considering surgical intervention;
• Prescription drugs such as oral steroids, antidepressant medications and
colchicine are not recommended for acute low back problems.
Acute Low Back Problems in Adults. Clinical Practice Guidelines. Bigos S, et al. Agency for Health Care Policy and Research Publication No.
950642 (1994) - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The New Zealand Commission Report
The government of New Zealand published a 377 page report which assessed the efficacy
and safety of chiropractic care. The report was a result of almost 2 years of conducted
hearings from recognized health care experts.
Their principal findings included:
• "Chiropractors are the only health practitioners who are necessarily equipped
by their education and training to carry out spinal manual therapy (spinal
adjustments)."
• "Chiropractors carry out spinal diagnosis and therapy at a sophisticated and
refined level."
• "Spinal manual therapy in the hands of a registered chiropractor is safe."
• "The duration and training of a registered chiropractor are sufficient to enable
him/her to determine whether there are contraindications to spinal manual
therapy in a particular case, and whether that patient should have medical
care instead of, or as well as, chiropractic care."
New Zealand Report. Hasselberg PD. Government Printer, Wellington - 1979.