For those who have experienced severe car accident injuries, back pain is common. If you're tired of the pills, especially if they don't totally eliminate pain, you have a better option: chiropractic. Chiropractic care focuses on treating the whole body to cure specific problems.
For example, rather than treating just the symptoms of back pain, chiropractors focus on its underlying causes. Once you can address those underlying causes, you'll have much more success in overcoming both short-term and long-term pain.
The Power of the Body
Medicine is helpful to the body in certain situations. However, pain medications can quickly become a panacea. Most patients forget that the body has a natural ability to heal itself. Because of its amazing internal healing powers, the body can often solve its own problems if given the proper opportunities.
So, what types of opportunities promote self-healing? A nutritious diet, regular exercise, and spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) provided by a chiropractor are all a great place to start. The body wants to be well, but needs these necessary tools to do so.
Rather than relying on painkillers and other pharmaceuticals to temporarily numb the problem, focus on the long term. To begin, read up on current research on painkillers and back pain.
Why Pain Killers May Not Be the Answer
Many medical doctors encourage regular doses of acetaminophen for chronic pain sufferers. However, according to a recent study published in the British Medical Journal (http://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h1225), acetaminophen is an ineffective treatment for low back pain.
This study is not the first to point out lackluster results for Tylenol and other similar painkillers on long-term back pain. Instead, the American Chiropractic Association (http://www.acatoday.org/press_css.cfm?CID=5658) states that conservative care approaches are more effective.
Such conservative care approaches include spinal manipulation, diet, exercise, and other natural therapies.
Painkillers also present another problem: addiction. Overreliance on prescription painkillers caused over 17,000 American deaths in 2010 alone. That number exceeds the number of cocaine or heroin deaths in the same year.
To lessen their reliance on painkillers, most patients should investigate all available treatment options first. Talking with a trained chiropractor is an important step in the process.
Keys to Effective Chiropractic Care
From the start, experienced chiropractors look at the big picture. While a patient's pain may originate from a car accident, a stress-reducing regimen may be more effective in the long run than prescribing a higher dose of pain meds.
Thoughtful persons soon realize that gradual-but-consistent pain reduction is always a better strategy than quick pain treatments that mask the underlying cause.
To help patients over time, chiropractors use several techniques to diagnose and reduce back pain. Here are just a few:
- Wellness counseling
- Lifestyle advice
- Corrective exercises
- Spinal adjustments
- Nutritional counseling
- Massage therapy
With exposure to these therapies, the body can begin its healing process without complete reliance on pharmaceuticals. Seeking chiropractic care allows your body to reach its optimal level of function. By following your chiropractor's instructions, you create the perfect environment for healing-now, and in the future.
Pain Reduction and Other Benefits
Because chiropractic takes a whole-body approach, patients enjoy holistic benefits. Some of these come organically and naturally. Effective chiropractic not only alleviates pain, it may also provide:
- Increased lung capacity
- Improved digestion
- Clearer vision
- Improved circulation
- Healthier skin
- Reduced allergies and asthma
These results may not occur in every instance. Still, most patients find that visiting their chiropractor leads to a higher level of whole-body health than otherwise.
By learning about all your treatment options, you can take a more sensible approach to your own pain management-without total reliance on pain medications.
To find out more about overcoming your back pain, consult a licensed chiropractor.