About Chiropractic and Its Use in Treating Low-Back Pain
About Chiropractic and Its Use in Treating Low-Back Pain
This page last modified September 07, 2007.
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Key Points
What is chiropractic?
What is the history of the discovery and use of chiropractic?
Who uses chiropractic and for what health problems?
What kind of training do chiropractors receive?
What do chiropractors do in treating patients?
Have side effects or problems been reported from using chiropractic to treat back pain?
Does the government regulate chiropractic?
Do health insurance plans pay for chiropractic treatment?
What has scientific research found out about whether chiropractic works for low-back pain?
Are there scientific controversies associated with chiropractic?
Is NCCAM funding research on chiropractic?
For More Information
References
Appendix I
Appendix II
Chiropractic ("kye-roh-PRAC-tic") is a form of health care that focuses on the relationship between the body's structure, primarily of the spine, and function. Doctors of chiropractic, who are also called chiropractors or chiropractic physicians, use a type of hands-on therapy called manipulationThe application of controlled force to a joint, moving it beyond the normal range of motion in an effort to aid in restoring health. Manipulation may be performed as a part of other therapies or whole medical systems, including chiropractic medicine, massage, and naturopathy. (or adjustment) as their core clinical procedure. While there are some differences in beliefs and approaches within the chiropractic profession, this Research Report will give you a general overview of chiropractic, discuss scientific research findings on chiropractic treatment for low-back pain, and suggest other sources of information.
Key Points
Chiropractic is most often used to treat musculoskeletal conditions--problems with the muscles, joints, bones, and connective tissue such as cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.
Research studies of chiropractic treatment for low-back pain have been of uneven quality and insufficient to allow firm conclusions. Nonetheless, the overall sense of the data is that for low-back pain, chiropractic treatment and conventional medical treatments are about equally helpful. It is harder to draw conclusions about the relative value of chiropractic for other clinical conditions.
The risk of experiencing complications from chiropractic adjustment of the low back appears to be very low. However, the risk appears to be higher for adjustment of the neck.
It is important to inform all of your health care providers about any treatment that you are using or considering, including chiropractic. This will help each provider make sure that all aspects of your health care are working together.
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1. What is chiropractic?
The word "chiropractic" combines the Greek words cheir (hand) and praxis (action) and means "done by hand." Chiropractic is an alternative medical system and takes a different approach from conventional medicineMedicine as practiced by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and by their allied health professionals such as physical therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses. (see box) in diagnosing, classifying, and treating medical problems.
What is conventional medicine?
Conventional medicine is medicine as practiced by holders of M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) or D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) degrees and by their allied health professionals, such as physical therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses. Other terms for conventional medicine include allopathy; Western, mainstream, orthodox, and regular medicine; and biomedicineMedicine as practiced by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees and by their allied health professionals such as physical therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses..
What is complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)A group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine, and alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine.?
Health care practices and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine are called CAM. Complementary medicine is used together with conventional medicine. Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine.
For more information on conventional medicine and CAM, see the NCCAM fact sheet "What Is Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)?"
The basic concepts of chiropractic can be described as follows:
The body has a powerful self-healing ability.
The body's structure (primarily that of the spine) and its function are closely related, and this relationship affects health.
Chiropractic therapy is given with the goals of normalizing this relationship between structure and function and assisting the body as it heals.
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2. What is the history of the discovery and use of chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a form of spinal manipulation, which is one of the oldest healing practices. Spinal manipulation was described by Hippocrates in ancient Greece.1-3 In 1895, Daniel David Palmer founded the modern profession of chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. Palmer was a self-taught healer and a student of healing philosophies of the day. He observed that the body has a natural healing ability that he believed was controlled by the nervous system. He also believed that subluxations, or misalignments of the spine (a concept that had already existed in the bonesetter and osteopathic traditions), interrupt or interfere with this "nerve flow." Palmer suggested that if an organ does not receive its normal supply of impulses from the nerves, it can become diseased. This line of thinking led him to develop a procedure to "adjust" the vertebrae, the bones of the spinal column, with the goal of correcting subluxations.
Some chiropractors continue to view subluxation as central to chiropractic health care.2 However, other chiropractors no longer view the subluxation theory as a unifying theme in health and illness or as a basis for their practice. Other theories as to how chiropractic might work have been developed.
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3. Who uses chiropractic and for what health problems?
In 1997, it was estimated that Americans made nearly 192 million visits a year to chiropractors.4 Over 88 million of those visits were to treat back or neck pain.5 In one recent survey, more than 40 percent of patients receiving chiropractic care were being treated for back or low-back problems.6 More than half of those surveyed said that their symptoms were chronic. Conditions commonly treated by chiropractors include back pain, neck pain, headaches, sports injuries, and repetitive strains. Patients also seek treatment of pain associated with other conditions, such as arthritis.7
Low-back pain is a common medical problem, occurring in up to one-quarter of the population each year. Most ...
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