Chiropractic. Pain Relief without the Side Effects

“They’ve taken away my pain medication,” George, an elderly patient worried. “Now my arthritis pain is returning. What am I going to do? I hurt so much, but the side effects could kill me”.

What can people like George do? George, like millions of other arthritis sufferers, is rightly concerned about the safety of pain medications. The Cleveland Clinic notes that while “anti-inflammatory analgesics [pain medications] are generally safe…they can cause side effects and complications.”  Frequency, length of time and amount of use, play roles in increasing the risks.  Potential side effects and complications include:

• Damage to internal organs, such as the liver or kidneys.
• Diarrhea or constipation.
• Heart problems.
• Hypersensitivity response, which is like an allergic reaction.
• Nausea, upset stomach or heartburn.
• Ringing in the ears, or even deafness.
• Stomach ulcers.
• Trouble forming clots in the blood, which can lead to excessive bleeding.

Opioid analgesics work differently but can cause “many of the same side effects and complications”.  Additionally, opioids “can cause physical dependence and are prone to abuse”.

George and people like him are searching for safe pain relief.

Fortunately, there are natural alternatives that are safe, and without the life-threatening side effects. Among the most popular is chiropractic care.  While manual healing methods date back to ancient times, chiropractic as a profession, was established when Daniel David Palmer gave the first chiropractic adjustment in 1895.  He established the first chiropractic school in 1897and the profession has continually grown since then.  Archival records show that chiropractic physicians were practicing in TN as early as 1910.  In 1923, the state of Tennessee joined in licensing Chiropractic Physicians.   According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, this profession is expected to grow 10% between 2023 and 2033.  This is “much faster than the average for all occupations.”

Why is Chiropractic So Popular?

First, Doctors of Chiropractic are highly trained, physician level, health care providers.  They must complete rigorous training at the post-graduate level, meet competency standards established by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, and any other requirements set by the individual state(s) in which they seek licensure.

Secondly, chiropractic care has been shown to be both safe and effective for the treatment of many types of musculoskeletal pain.  Consider these findings:

• A 2004 study showed that not only was 1 month of intensive (3 visits per week) spinal manipulation treatment effective at reducing pain and disability scores, but that those who followed up with a manipulation every 3 weeks maintained those levels even 9 months later.
• A 2005 comparison of medication, needle acupuncture, and spinal manipulation as treatment for chronic pain patients revealed spinal manipulation resulted in “significant improvements” in 5 of the 7 outcome measures while the medication and needle acupuncture had improvement in only 1 measure each.

What else can a chiropractor do other than spinal manipulation?

While spinal manipulation, remains the cornerstone of chiropractic care, modern chiropractic has evolved over the years to include multiple ways to safely treat patients of any age and with a wide array of conditions.

• Nutritional advice: Research shows the foods we eat play a role in much more than just providing the basic fuel for the body.  Some nutrients in foods encourage the inflammation that causes pain while others encourage our bodies to produce their own anti-inflammatory hormones. And because our body makes the anti-inflammatory itself, there are no side effects.  Foods can also have an impact on the strength of our muscles, bones and other bodily tissues.  Therefore, it is important to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.  Doctors of chiropractic have studied nutrition to enable them to make recommendations about ways to modify eating patterns to improve health.
• Physical Modalities: There are several physical therapeutic modalities that can augment the spinal manipulation.  Doctors of chiropractic select the modalities that they want to utilize in their clinics and then recommend these therapies when appropriate for an individual.  Some examples of these modalities are electric muscle stimulation, traction, ultrasound, and laser.  These treatments, both alone and in combination, can help reduce pain and promote healing.
• Rehabilitation Exercises: As experts in the musculoskeletal system, Doctors of Chiropractic are well versed in biomechanics.  They can suggest specific stretches and exercises for patients to help build strength and flexibility and maintain motion between visits.  They can help patients select activities that are most appropriate, and safe, for their individual health goals and abilities.
• Lifestyle modifications: Some activities interfere with healing or put undue strain on the body. If these are part of a regular routine, the patient may find themselves in a cycle of injury and healing.  Because chiropractic takes a whole-body approach to health, Doctors of Chiropractic may also make recommendations to help break this cycle.  Examples include advice on modifying a habit and utilizing stress management techniques.  For health issues that need the attention beyond chiropractic, they can assist the patient with finding the appropriate healthcare specialty to help and then coordinate care as needed so the patient receives the best overall care.

Help your family and friends learn more about what chiropractic can do for them.  For many types of musculoskeletal pain, chiropractic offers safe, effective pain relief without the use of medications.  The Tennessee Chiropractic Association is a statewide organization representing the profession in advocacy and support initiatives.  You can search the TCA Find-A-Doctor Directory online to find a TCA Member doctor near you.

 

 RESOURCES

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Chiropractors, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/chiropractors.htm (visited February 6, 2025).

Descarreaux M, Blouin JS, Drolet M, Papadimitriou S, Teasdale N. Efficacy of preventive spinal manipulation for chronic low-back pain and related disabilities: a preliminary study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2004 Oct;27(8):509-14. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2004.08.003. PMID: 15510094.

Cleveland Clinic, “Analgesics”  Home/Health Library/Drugs, Devices & Supplements/Analgesics  https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/21483-analgesics accessed 2/6/25

Muller R, Giles LG. Long-term follow-up of a randomized clinical trial assessing the efficacy of medication, acupuncture, and spinal manipulation for chronic mechanical spinal pain syndromes. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2005 Jan;28(1):3-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2004.12.004. PMID: 15726029.

Descarreaux M, Blouin JS, Drolet M, Papadimitriou S, Teasdale N. Efficacy of preventive spinal manipulation for chronic low-back pain and related disabilities: a preliminary study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2004 Oct;27(8):509-14. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2004.08.003. PMID: 15510094.

American Chiropractic  Association.  “Origins and History of Chiropractic”  https://www.acatoday.org/about/history-of-chiropractic/  (visited February 6, 2025)