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Back
pain affects almost everyone at some time, causing restricted
movement and untold misery, stress and discomfort. It also
causes millions of people to take valuable time off work,
costing companies enormous sums in sick pay and lost production.
What
causes back pain?
- Poor
lifting or incorrect carrying of heavy weights
-
Poor posture
-
Unsuitable seats or beds
-
Sports or other injury
-
Stress
-
Pregnancy
-
General ‘wear and tear’
In
1999 The Royal College of General Practitioners updated
their guidelines for the treatment of acute low back pain.
The main points from these guidelines relevant to chiropractors
are:
- Not
to recommend the use of bed rest as a treatment method,
as it is not as effective as alternative treatments for
pain relief and likely to make back pain worse.
- Early
intervention is essential for effective management and
full recovery.
- Spinal
manipulation is recommended for patients who are failing
to return to normal activities.
A conclusion
from a prospective study involving sufferers of low back
pain in the British Medical Journal (2/05/98), also supports
the need for active and early intervention for the treatment
of low back pain. The study also contradicted the previous
claim in the BMJ that back pain resolved itself naturally.
A follow up found that 91% of those in the survey were still
experiencing back pain 12 months later. GP's had presumed
incorrectly that because their back pain patients had not
returned they were better.
A more
likely explanation was they were dissatisfied with the level
of care and saw no point in returning, or they had gone
for alternative treatment. Few GP's will admit, as Dr Phil
Hammond does in his book Trust Me I'm A Doctor that "they
are not very good at treating back pain". Most GP's
are reluctant to refer outside the NHS, even though chiropractors
are specially trained to identify and advise on the specific
cause of your spinal dysfunction (back pain). The bones
of your spine protect the spinal cord, sometimes they lose
their normal motion or position (vertebral subluxation complex
- link to subluxation), and this can irritate the nerves
that branch off the spinal cord to all the tissues of your
body, resulting in pain being experienced.
After
the subluxation has been corrected by a chiropractic adjustment
(manipulation - link to adjustment and pain control) and
the adjustments are holding for a longer time, Dr. Cady
should offer advice on rehabilitation and maintenance care
plan to prevent reoccurrence.
In
order for the spine to be flexible, the vertebrae are joined
together by soft tissue structures known as discs. Each
disc is made up of two parts – a central soft core
and outer rings of tough cartilage. The discs allow movement
and also help to absorb shock. A slipped disc is the rather
inaccurate term used to describe the condition, often in
the lower back, where trauma or ‘wear and tear’
have caused damage to the outer rings of cartilage, so that
the core is squeezed outwards. This can eventually result
in a bulge which can press on the spinal cord, the nerve
root or the nerve itself. It can cause excruciating pain,
either in the back or referred elsewhere – for example
in the lower leg or foot. Chiropractic care can mobilize
the spine to reduce any pressure around the spinal cord
or nerves.
Do
Medical Treatments and Surgery help?
The
standard medical approach to back pain varies depending
on the severity of the condition.
The
medical approach is at times necessary – even back
surgery has a place. But according to some studies, most
spinal surgery for acute lower back problems should be rarely
performed. Many people who have had back surgery report
a recurrence of their symptoms within a year or two of the
operation and may return to the operating table. In some
cases the surgery makes no difference whatsoever, and in
some cases it does give long-term relief.
The
Chiropractic Approach:
Chiropractors
have helped millions of people with low back problems, often
saving them from pain, disability, drugs and surgery. Dr.
Cady's purpose is to make your spine and its nerves, discs
ligaments and muscles healthier, stronger and more stable
by correcting your vertebral subluxation. Anyone suffering
from a back problem should see a chiropractor to make sure
they have no subluxations and have them corrected with a
chiropractic adjustment if necessary. This may make the
difference between a life of ease, health and comfort and
a life of pain, disease and disability.
What
did the Government Studies reveal?
Low
back pain sufferers have received very good news lately.
Major government studies from the US, Canada and UK have
reaffirmed what chiropractic patients have been telling
their friends with back pain for years: “Why don’t
you see my chiropractor? You’ll probably get better
much faster than from drugs or surgery- and it’s safer
too.
What
the British Researchers found:
In
1991 the Medical Research Council sent shockwaves through
the health care system when a definite public pronouncement
established chiropractic as one of the preferred and most
effective methods of care for acute adult low back pain.
"Chiropractic almost certainly confers worthwhile long
term benefits in comparison with hospital out patient management".
"If all these patients were referred for chiropractic
instead of hospital treatment, the annual cost would be
about four million pounds. Our results suggest that there
might be a reduction of some 290,000 days in sickness absence
during 2 years, saving about 13 million in output and 2.9
million in social security payments". British Medical
Journal, June 2nd 1990 - www.chiropractic-uk.co.uk.
A panel
of medical experts spent 2.5 years reviewing nearly 4,000
studies and reported that expensive tests (MRI, CAT scans)
and therapies typically used to diagnose and treat acute
lower back pain are largely useless. Instead the experts
recommended the non-drug chiropractic approach: “The
therapeutic objectives of manipulation include symptomatic
relief and functional improvement.”
What
Canadian Researchers Found:
The
Manga Report was commissioned by the government of Ontario
in Canada. Leading economists found that chiropractic care
for patients with low back pain is superior to medical care
in terms of safely, scientific evidence of effectiveness,
cost and patient satisfaction.
“The
higher satisfaction levels expressed by patients of chiropractors…offers
an overwhelming case in favor of much greater use of chiropractic
services in the management of low-back pain.
“There
should be a shift in policy to encourage and prefer chiropractic
services for most patients with low-back pain…a very
good case can be made for making chiropractors the gatekeepers
for management of low-back pain in the workers’ compensation
system."
The
Facts speak for themselves:
“Scientific
studies that have been done by medical physicians comparing
chiropractic care with medical care and physical therapy
non-surgical care of the back and neck show that doctors
of chiropractic relieve chronic and severe pain, both immediate
and long term, in one half the time it takes medical physicians
not trained in chiropractic procedures…controlled
empirical studies can and have been conducted. There are
not in excess of 60 scientific studies which demonstrate
the value of manipulation…manipulation is a most effective
and cost-effective from of treatment for dysfunctional problems
in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spines.”
“For
patients with acute low back symptoms without radiculopathy,
the scientific evidence suggests spinal manipulation is
effective in reducing pain and perhaps speeding recovery
within the first month of symptoms.”
Chiropractic
is better for you!
Studies
have shown chiropractic works better, is safer and less
costly than standard medicine for lower back complaints.
Why
are the results so overwhelmingly in favor of chiropractic?
Because painkillers, muscle relaxants, Valium TM, braces,
physical therapy and surgery are not designed to correct
vertebral subluxation. Call us today at 408-739-2273
to make an appointment.
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