Do chiropractors help or make things worse?

Chiropractors use adjustments and manipulations to address alignment problems that cause pain and other symptoms throughout the body, including obstructing the body's natural ability to heal. However, the benefits of Chiropractic Care Wilmington DE don't end in pain relief. Chiropractors who treat neuromuscular disorders by manually adjusting or manipulating the spine are controversial. Some patients praise them for relieving pain without addictive medications or expensive surgery; others call them charlatans. In October, an autopsy report revealed that Playboy model Katie May died in February after a chiropractor made adjustments to her back, leaving the 34-year-old with a ruptured artery that interrupted blood flow to the brain.

May's heirs demand a seven-figure settlement from the medical professional, alleging negligence. Because chiropractic care typically involves alignment procedures, it makes sense to seek this type of treatment after a sports injury, car accident, or some other type of trauma. However, there may be additional or underlying injuries that should be treated by a doctor. In some cases, spinal manipulation by a chiropractor could worsen these conditions rather than help them.

When he finally went to the doctor a few weeks later, he discovered that he had a hernia in his spine, which the chiropractor had exacerbated and had been unable to diagnose. They refer to review articles in which no relationship has been found between neck manipulations and arterial tears, and to research that shows that people who go to the primary care doctor are just as likely to suffer a stroke in the weeks following the consultation as people who see a chiropractor. Instead, they say, a visit to the chiropractor is usually the result of an arterial dissection, not the cause of it. The chiropractor said he didn't need an X-ray, connected it to an ultrasound machine and made manual adjustments to his back.

It's worth noting that this pain is related to the movement of the bones and not to the pressure applied by the chiropractor. But how do you know when a chiropractor isn't enough for back pain? When should you see a back or spine specialist to end your chronic back pain? If you experience severe pain, discomfort, or other problems after your chiropractic adjustment, you should consult your chiropractor, doctor, and physical therapist. Recognizing the vulnerability of the neck, some chiropractors take a more conservative approach when treating the area. Many people who seek help from a chiropractor suffer from pain or discomfort in their backs; in essence, they seek much-needed pain relief from a medical professional.

However, many people with back pain go to acupuncturists, massage therapists, or a chiropractor on their own. You could even visit the chiropractor for more gentle manual or traction therapy, which involves stretching or movements that are less aggressive and more controlled. Philip Cordova, a Houston chiropractor, said his office doesn't rotate their necks too much to minimize the chance of injury. Waking up with pain or stiffness for a few days is often the type of back pain that causes people to see a chiropractor.