Chiropractic is a popular natural treatment that can alleviate pain from a wide variety of conditions. Unfortunately, there are many myths about chiropractors and chiropractic care. Here are nine common misconceptions about chiropractic:
1. Chiropractic adjustments are painful.
The idea of having someone adjust your spine or neck may seem alarming, but chiropractic care is not painful. In fact, you should feel relief after a spinal adjustment. While it’s common to feel some soreness after your chiropractic appointment, the adjustment itself will not cause you any pain.
2. Chiropractic adjustments are dangerous.
Chiropractic is one of the safest treatments in the world. It’s completely noninvasive, so it has a much lower risk of complications than many other forms of treatment. Several studies have proven that chiropractic is a safe treatment option. Also, all healthcare providers must pay for malpractice insurance, and the amount they pay usually varies depending on the risks in their field. On average, chiropractors pay less for their malpractice insurance than any other doctor.
3. Children shouldn’t see chiropractors.
Some parents worry about bringing their children to a chiropractor. Kids tend to heal more quickly than adults, so they might not need as much chiropractic treatment, but they can certainly benefit from adjustments. Chiropractic can help with spine or neck issues, but it also provides a wide variety of other benefits, including better brain-nerve communication throughout the body, a stronger immune system, better digestive health, and improved sleep.
4. Chiropractors only treat back problems.
Although back and neck pain are the most common reasons people receive chiropractic care, chiropractors are musculoskeletal experts and can treat the joints in the knees, ankles, hands, feet, and other parts of the body. They treat athletes with sports injuries, pregnant mothers with pain during pregnancy, and people with chronic headaches. Chiropractic can even help treat high blood pressure and ulcers. Many conditions can be linked back to the spine and nervous system, so chiropractic adjustments can have a big impact.
5. MDs don’t support chiropractic treatment.
There used to be some animosity between chiropractors and MDs who didn’t want to lose their patients to chiropractors. However, this tension has mostly ended. It’s very rare for MDs to refuse to refer a patient to chiropractic care, and almost all doctors recognize the benefits of spinal adjustments.
6. You can only see a chiropractor when you have pain.
Most people only visit the chiropractor when they have an issue that needs treatment, but chiropractic care can be helpful regardless of whether or not you’re in pain. Chiropractors can provide preventative treatment to help you maintain your spinal health and lower your risk of pain in the future. You can visit a chiropractor about once a year to make sure your spine, joints, and muscles are all functioning properly.
7. Chiropractors aren’t well-educated.
Some people visit MDs instead of chiropractors for back pain just because they think chiropractors don’t have much education. However, chiropractors receive about the same number of hours of training as MDs. After completing a bachelor’s degree, chiropractic students must attend a chiropractic college to earn the Doctor of Chiropractic degree. They also must complete 1,000 hours of supervised clinical training. After they begin practicing, chiropractors have to attend workshops or continuing education classes to maintain their license.
8. There is no evidence that chiropractic care works.
Some people question the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment. However, there are numerous studies that prove chiropractic’s effectiveness at treating chronic back pain and many other health issues. Many reputable health organizations recommend chiropractic care, including the American College of Physicians, the American Pain Society, and the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence in the U.K.
9. When you see a chiropractor once, you have to keep getting chiropractic care for the rest of your life.
You can go to a chiropractor just once, or you can go multiple times per year. The choice to continue chiropractic treatment is completely up to you, and you won’t experience any health problems if you choose to end treatment. Many people continue visiting a chiropractor simply because they feel better after receiving the treatment, not because they have to.
