.2106080809550.jpg)
In honor of National Chiropractic Health Month (NCHM) 2016 this October, the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) is continuing its efforts to help the public understand the value of chiropractic approach to pain management, particularly in the face of the U.S. opioid epidemic.#Chiropractic1st.
According to the ACA’s website, “With government agencies and respected health organizations beginning to recognize and promote the use of nonpharmacologic options for chronic pain, it’s important for the public to understand that chiropractic services are an important first line of defense against musculoskeletal pain and may, in some cases, lessen or eliminate the need for over-the-counter and prescription painkillers.” health organizations beginning to recognize and promote the use of nonpharmacologic options for chronic pain, it’s important for the public to understand that chiropractic services are an important first line of defense against musculoskeletal pain and may, in some cases, lessen or eliminate the need for over-the-counter and prescription painkillers.”
To further a campaign that will place chiropractic care front and center in the pain management battle, the House of Representatives passed 18 bills related to opioids last May, several of which “could lead to enhanced roles for the nation’s doctors of chiropractic in battling this relatively new scourge,” particularly for “youth athletes and their families regarding the dangers of opioid use, non-opioid treatment options and how to seek addiction treatment,” according to the ACA.
Chiropractor doing Manual Adjustment on Athletic Girl’s Spine after Sport Activity
All this boils down to a very basic, and proven, healing option: When it comes to pain management in Fort Lauderdale, the best alternative to drugs is to seek out the expert healing hands of a skilled chiropractor.
Chiropractic physicians, according to the ACA statement, “have long been concerned about the growing reliance on prescription medications for pain.” Indeed, the growing use of drugs to combat pain has become one of the prime health concerns, especially in South Florida, where high opioid use is cause for alarm among health officials and law enforcement.
ACA’s statement is part of the chiropractic profession’s ongoing efforts to educate the public about the “value of exhausting non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical approaches for pain management before moving on to higher-risk options.” For the person experiencing pain, a chiropractor should be the first choice – and in, fact, many have utilized this highly respected arm of the medical profession: More than 33.6 million Americans sought chiropractic care in 2014, compared with a previously reported estimate of 20.6 million in 2012, according to a 2015 Gallup report commissioned by Palmer College of Chiropractic.
Acco
rding to the ACA, there is growing research that the programs provided by chiropractic physicians “are clinically effective, safe and cost-effective.”
Consider the following:
- For acute and chronic pain, chiropractic manipulative therapy, along with standard medical care, has been proven to offer significant advantages for decreasing pain and improving physical functioning, for people between 18 and 35 who suffer acute low back pain.
- The journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapies reports that “patients with chronic low-back pain treated by chiropractors showed greater improvement and satisfaction at one month than patients treated by family physicians..”
- The chiropractor’s use of manual-thrust manipulations for pain has been shown to provide greater short-term reductions in pain and increased mobility, compared with usual medical care. Chiropractic care has also been found to reduce the necessity of surgery.
- When it comes to headaches and neck pain, chiropractors also scored highly in helping people to attain their pain-free goals and live a better life, through a chiropractor’s cervical spine manipulation therapy.
Chiropractic therapy has also proven to be more cost-effective than other healthcare programs. The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics also reports that “care by a doctor of chiropractic (DC) alone or DC care in conjunction with care by a medical doctor (MD) incurred ‘appreciably fewer charges’ for uncomplicated lower back pain than MD care with or without care by a physical therapist.
If your pain is preventing you from performing the activities you love – or keeping you from your normal day-to-day routine – think twice about pain relievers. Instead, contact a Ft. Lauderdale chiropractor. Let National Chiropractic Health Month raise your awareness about the type of help that is out there. Heal your pain the natural way.