It's not surprising but long overdue that chiropractic care is being recognized nationally as the preferred treatment for back pain.
In a survey released in July by Consumer Reports, chiropractic care outperformed every other back pain treatment including prescription medications, yoga, Pilates and over the counter medications.
The American Chiropractic Association noted that current guidelines to treat chronic lower back pain call for conservative measures such as chiropractic care.
Chiropractic care is considered a non-pharmacologic therapy along with massage therapy and acupuncture. In 2007, the Annals of Internal Medicine published guidelines developed and approved by the American Pain Society and the American College of Physicians that recommended patients who do not improve with self-care should seek out treatment such as chiropractic care.
Pain relief is widely and negatively discussed now in the media due to the increased abuse of prescription medications. While illegal drug abuse has decreased, the abuse of prescription medications has sharply risen, most notably pain relievers such as Oxycontin and Vicodin. Individuals have become desperate to find pain relief and frequently find themselves addicted to pain medications during the process of healing and finding pain relief.
"As this latest survey helps to demonstrate, chiropractic care is an evidence-based and effective treatment that can prevent patients from resorting to powerful drugs with potentially harmful consequences," said American Chiropractic Association President Dr. Rick McMichael in a press release.
Doctors of chiropractic provide drug-free, non-invasive treatment for many types of painful conditions, including acute and chronic back pain, neck pain, joint pain and headaches.
Not only are medical professionals hailing chiropractic care as safe and effective treatment for a variety of painful conditions, but individuals are sharing their success stories, of pain relief without invasive methods that risk their health and well-being.