Back Pain – Seeking Relief
Back pain is a common ailment. It is estimated that 85% of Americans will suffer back pain significant enough to seek medical treatment at some point in their lives. The cause of back pain is often not clear, and as such, the best treatment for one individual’s back pain may be different from someone else’s. The usual treatment prescribed by doctors is some combination of exercise and stretching, heat, rest, pain medication, and the tincture of time. If the usual treatment leaves you with continuing back pain, you may be wondering: should I see a chiropractor?
Should I See a Chiropractor?
Because the gold standard for back pain treatment is unclear, patients are often left to their own devices to find something that helps. Medical experts have differing opinions about the efficacy of chiropractic care, and there is an unfortunate shortage of good studies on the subject. This often leaves people with many questions about the role of chiropractic care in their treatment plan: Should it begin right away or only after other options have failed? Will some back pain patients benefit from seeing a chiropractor more than others?
JAMA-Published Study on Chiropractic Care
In 2018, JAMA Network Open published a study that weighed in on the benefits of chiropractic care for the treatment of low back pain. There were 750 participants studied, all of whom were active-duty military personnel with complaints of back pain. Through random assignments, half were treated with the usual course of care, which included physical therapy, medication, and self-care. The other half received the same, with up to 12 chiropractic treatments added to the plan.
The participants were looked at after they had completed six weeks of treatment. The group that had received chiropractic care:
- Reported a decrease in pain levels
- Experienced improved function with less disability
- Reported greater satisfaction with treatment
- Required less pain medication
No participants reported serious side effects, however, approximately 10% of participants in the chiropractic group experienced adverse effects – mostly joint and/or muscle stiffness. This was compared to around 5% of those who had received standard care that reported the same complaints.
The study was not perfect; it was limited in a number of ways, such as:
- The short duration of six weeks
- It included a wide variety of complaints. Some participants had new pain, while others had long-standing issues. The sources of pain were different. Because so many factors varied, it makes it hard to generalize about whether chiropractic care is a good treatment for a specific problem, such as muscle spasms, for example.
- Most participants were young (31 was the average age), nearly 80% were male, and all were in good enough general health to pass the military’s fitness tests.
- Since the participants knew which treatment plan they received, there may have been a placebo effect.
Despite the limitations, the study’s results lend support for the use of chiropractic care in the treatment of low back pain.
Anecdotally, many of our personal injury clients who suffer from back pain following a traumatic incident receive great benefit from the skilled chiropractic practitioners used in their treatment plans.
Watch the YouTube video. The clip below introduces the viewer to some of the goals of chiropractic care.
Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer
Hello, and thank you for reading My Back Hurts – Should I See a Chiropractor? I’m Ed Smith. I have been a car accident lawyer in Sacramento, California, for nearly four decades. Not only do we seek to maximize the financial compensation you receive in your case, but we also place a high level of importance on your physical recovery. This includes support as you navigate the best treatment plan for your physical recovery. Our injury lawyers are available to offer compassionate, free, and friendly advice. If you or a loved one sustained injuries in a car crash caused by a careless or reckless driver, call us at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. If you prefer electronic communication, reach out to us via our online form.
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Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/back-pain-pain-spine-body-ache-5318474/
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