A chiropractor is a healthcare professional who is educated and trained at an accredited chiropractic college for four or more years. The basic science and medical curriculum is much like a medical doctors, until the clinical component. At that time chiropractors training focuses on spinal and musculoskeletal pathology and treatment. During the course of their education they must pass national board examinations, and after graduation, they must pass state licensing examinations for the state in which they practice.
What are the Top 8 Long Term Benefits of Chiropractic Care?
Chiropractors use various methods of treatment for spinal and musculoskeletal problems. These do not include invasive means of treatment such as injections or surgery. Some chiropractors may perform acupuncture, if they have additional training in that specialty.
Chiropractors also do not prescribe medications. Most spinal problems do not require medications to resolve, and many patients are frustrated that medical doctors often only prescribe medications for pain treatment.
1. Can resolve neck pain
Most neck pain and problems do not require medications, injections, or surgery. Chiropractors have a variety of treatments they can use to treat neck problems effectively. And most treatment courses for a particular neck problem are not long, nor expensive.
2. Reduces the use of painkillers
This is a huge plus. Over the last several years, we have all heard about the problem of opiate drug abuse. This occurred for a variety of reasons, many nefarious. But addictive, pain medications always have a dangerous potential downside. Chiropractic treatment avoids the potential harms of pain medications and the side effects of other medications as well, including over-the-counter, anti-inflammatory medications, like ibuprofen.
3. Can resolve back pain
Chiropractic treatment is usually effective in resolving episodes of back pain. Most back pain is benign and uncomplicated, and resolves without medications, injections, or surgery. And most back pain does not require a lot of expense in diagnostic testing or treatment. Most patients are able to get a quick appointment with a chiropractor for their back pain, and start improving fast.
4. A๏ฌordable chronic back pain treatment
Many studies have been done comparing the cost of chiropractic treatment to other healthcare providers, and chiropractic care is generally much less expensive for a course of effective treatment.
5. Reduction in headache symptoms
Many headaches result from neck pain and pathology. And some headaches have an unknown origin. Chiropractic treatment is usually very effective for cervicogenic pain(pain of neck origin), and can be a reasonable trial for headaches or unknown origin, for which malignant causes have been excluded.
6. Reduction in scoliosis symptoms
Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine, and most patientsโ scoliosis is neither severe, nor requires surgery. Mild scoliosis is not usually painful, and when painless, doesnโt require treatment. But pain can arise in the context of scoliosis, and chiropractic treatment can help with the pain when symptoms arise.
There is another entity called antalgia, which is a temporary crooked posture that a person assumes to alleviate their pain. Antalgia will go away as soon as a patient gets su๏ฌcient relief of the painful cause of their antaligia. Sciatica is a common cause of antalgia.
7. Athletic performance improvements
Some chiropractors specialize in sports related injuries and pain. And most professional sports teams have a team chiropractor, attesting to the e๏ฌcacy of chiropractic treatment for athletes and their performance.
8. Increased energy levels
When you are in pain, there is usually a concomitant physical and mental depression. And pain usually means some measure of disability. So finding effective treatment for your pain will improve your physical and mental well-being, and get you back to your energetic self.
What to Look for in a Chiropractor?
Ask for personal recommendations from friends, and look at the chiropractorโs online reviews as well. You can usually find professional and personal information about the chiropractor on his/her website. Hopefully, their website will be informative source for their methods of practice.
Tips for Choosing a Chiropractor
Seeking personal recommendations usually su๏ฌces for a host of selective criteria, including the chiropractorโs education, experience, treatment methods, staff, convenience, communication, cost, and more.
1. Referrals
If you know someone who has been to a chiropractor they like, and endorse, thatโs a good start. But whether you get a recommendation, or find a chiropractor on your own, remember that you can decide at any time that you donโt care for him/her, and cease treatment. And you can request your medical records and diagnostic imaging be sent to you, and take them elsewhere. If you care to share with the doctorโs o๏ฌce, why you went elsewhere, that can be a constructive way for doctors to improve.
2. Chiropractorโs license
If you care to do so, you can check the status of a chiropractorโs license by going to the secretary of state website, searching for the state licensing board, and searching for the specific chiropractor you are considering.
3. Experience
Experience makes chiropractors better, as it does all healthcare professional. More experience means doctors have encountered more patients with a greater variety of clinical problems. It also means more acumen in diagnosis, treatment, proper referral to other healthcare providers, and all the other competencies required of doctors.
4. Gender Consideration
Male of female chiropractor? Thatโs personal preference. Conventional chiropractic adjustments do require some strength to perform, and this varies with patient size, but all chiropractors develop treatment methods suited for both their patients and themselves.
5. Communication Style
The importance of this skill, to patients, varies. Most patients want a doctor who is very knowledgeable, articulate, and personable. Other patients may discount this if the treatment is effective. Chiropractors, historically, have an exceptional reputation, compared to other healthcare providers as caring and personable. That may be, in part, due to the tactile nature of chiropractic treatment. Many medical professional never touch a patient, but โchiropracticโ means action with hands.
With any doctor, patients should ask enough questions in order to understand their problem, what is the proposed treatment, the expected outcome, and what may be necessary if treatment does not resolve the problem
Frequently Asked Questions ( FAQs )
Who needs chiropractic care?
Answer: If you have a pain in your spine, or around your spine, or referred or radiating from your spine, such shoulder, hip, arm, buttock or sciatica pain, you would likely benefit from chiropractic treatment of the problem. Most patients do not want to address musculoskeletal pain by taking medications, getting injections, or doing surgery. So, while these methods have their place, drugless and non-invasive treatment is always preferable, when possible.
How long should you use a chiropractor?
Answer: Most problems that chiropractors treat will resolve within 2 to 6 weeks. Some problems may take 6 to 12 weeks to resolve. Once youโre improved, you can use your discretion as to when you need to return. Chiropractors differ on their recommendations for โmaintenanceโ care, once your problem is resolved.
What happens when you stop chiropractic care?
Answer: Once a problem resolves, depending upon the nature of the problem, it may be resolved permanently. But all musculoskeletal problems can recur, or you can experience a different problem. For example, the spine and 24 vertebrae, and each vertebra has 5 joints; 5 to 7 in each neck vertebra. So a lot of different problems can arise in close proximity to each other.
Hopefully, after a spinal problem, youโll have learned how to prevent exacerbations of your problem.
Can chiropractic care help with weight loss?
Answer: Chiropractic does not directly help with weight loss, although if your problem limits your physical activity, which is the norm for any painful, musculoskeletal problem, you may be limited in exercise and activity, which can result in weight gain.
Are chiropractors medical doctors?
Answer: No. Chiropractors are a separate healthcare specialty with a unique approach to treatment that focuses on physical medicine treatments, and excludes medications, invasive procedures, and surgery. But most chiropractors do make professional referrals to medical physicians in all specialities. There was an historic antagonism between the professions that waned over the last 50 years, and is largely absent now.
Is chiropractic safe?
Answer: Chiropractic is generally safe. This is reflected in the paucity of malpractice suits against them. In fact, most medical physicians are surprised to learn that chiropractic malpractice insurance costs about $1,300 annually. When chiropractors are sued, it is usually because they did not make medical referrals when they should have. So make sure you improve reasonably quickly from your chiropractic treatment, or ask your chiropractor for a referral for a medical, second opinion.
Do You Want To Relief Your Back & Neck Pain Issues?
Are you looking for an experienced Chiropractor in Decatur GA to help you to resolve your back & neck pain issues? It is important to work with a certified & licensed professional chiropractor. Yes, Dr. Craig Castanet is most experienced in this chiropractor industry specially back & neck pain. If you want you can check Dr. Craig Castanet journey of chiropractor industry & his certificates also.
Want to schedule and appointment but unsure about your coverage? Just give call our number or mail.
Backstrong Non Surgical Rehab Clinic.
2771 Lawrenceville Hwy #101, Decatur, GA 30033,
Contact Number: 404-558-4015
Gmail: [email protected]
Related Article Written By Dr. Craig Castanet Founder of Backstrong Non Surgical Rehab Clinic.
You can read this:
1. How Long Should I Go To A Chiropractor After An Accident?
2. Are Chiropractic Adjustments Safe After A Car Accident?
Dr. Craig Castanet D.C. is a chiropractor specialist & Founder of Backstrong Non-Surgical Rehab Clinic. Our office is located at 2771 Lawrenceville Hwy #101, Decatur, GA 30033. For the last 35+ years he has participated in the treatment of more than 40,000 patients, in orthopedics, physical medicine, physical therapy, and neurosurgical clinics. If you live in the Decatur, Ga area and have neck or back problems, you owe it to yourself to see us for your problem. If you have any question about chiropractic care & Treatment. You can use our contact page or social media profile anytime & we will communicate with you soon.
