(305) 363-1735

Is Chiropractic Care Safe?

Chiropractic care is widely known as one of the safest non-invasive, drug-free treatment options that is available to help neuromusculoskeletal pains. While chiropractic care has a very high safety rating, there is no type of health treatment that does not have the potential of adverse effects. With that being said, the associated risks of chiropractic care are very minimal. Some patients may feel stiffness, mild soreness, or aching after they have had an adjustment, while many feel nothing but relief after a treatment. Studies have shown that any minor discomforts associated with the manipulation of the spine usually lasts less than 24 hours.  If you ever feel as if you need to see a chiropractic, contact a chiropractor Gaithersburg, MD or locally.

Headaches and Neck Pain

Headaches and neck pain can be treated through cervical manipulation. Cervical manipulation, most of the time known as neck adjustments, aim to better the mobility of the joints in the neck which therein restores the range of motion and relieves tension and pressure. Neck manipulation is a very safe procedure, as long as the doctor performing it is skilled and well-educated on the procedure.

Chiropractic care used to be seen as a dangerous method to treat anything involving the neck. There were reports that showed that neck manipulation could cause a rare type of stroke or vertebral artery dissection. There has since been evidence that these types of injuries take place in patients that have already had an arterial disease.

If you have neck pain or headaches, it is important that you are extremely specific with all of your symptoms when you speak with your chiropractor. By giving them every piece of information, the chiropractor will be able to decide on the most effective and safest treatment plan, which could involve being referred to a different type of health care provider.

Risks vs. Pain Medicine

When looking at the risks for how safe any method of treatment is, you should look at the risks compared to other available treatments for the same ailment. For this instance, the risk of a severe complication from spinal manipulation for any headaches or neck pain are seen as very favorable when compared to very conservative treatment options. For instance, any risks that are seen with taking some of the most common treatments for headaches or neck pain, such as over-the counter medicine or prescription painkillers, have a much higher risk of causing a problem than any risks associated with spinal manipulation from a chiropractor.

The American Journal of Gastroenterology stated that people taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are three times more like than people who do not take them to develop a serious problem in their intestines, which could include perforation or hemorrhage. For people over the age of 60, the risk increases to more than five times.

In addition to simple over-the-counter medicine and NSAIDs, there have been over three times the amount of prescription painkillers, such as hydrocodone and oxycodone, being prescribed by doctors to patients.

Safe Treatments

Chiropractors are very well-trained professionals that are able to provide their patients with effective and safe care for a multitude of common ailments. They have a wealth of education that has prepared them to determine if a patient has any special risk factors and are able to provide them appropriate care, even if that sometimes means referring them to a different doctor.

 

Thank you to the Pain Arthritis Relief Center  for providing an inside scoop on the role of chiropractors