Originally published May 8 2005
Chiropractors becoming mainstream when it comes to curing back pain
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
When it comes to riding patients of back pain, medical doctors are often at a loss. So they are increasingly turning to chiropractors, an alternative that many had once shunned. "When I first started practicing (20 years ago) it was quite rare that a medical doctor would refer a patient to me," one chiropractor in Delaware says. "Now, it's quite common." One recent study found that chiropractors have helped reduce back surgeries by 32 percent.
About 80 percent of people have back pain at some point in their lives, and it's second only to cold and flu in the number of doctor visits it prompts.
Back pain can be notoriously difficult to diagnose and treat, but advances in both nonsurgical and surgical options make it more likely than ever that your pain can be tamed.
According to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the number of spinal surgeries shot up 77 percent between 1996 and 2001.
A study published last year found that chiropractic care reduced back surgeries by 32 percent and cut hospitalizations among back pain patients by 41 percent.
"When I first started practicing (20 years ago) it was quite rare that a medical doctor would refer a patient to me," says chiropractor Beth Barnett.
Barnett's Nashville, Tenn., practice also incorporates massage and acupuncture, two of the most popular nonmedical treatments for back pain.
A 2003 review of the medical literature on the role in acupuncture and massage in treating back pain concluded that acupuncture is as effective as non-steroidal painkillers.
Dr. Benjamin Johnson, director of a pain management and rehabilitation center, stresses pain management is an approach that uses techniques from many fields and isn't just prescribing pain pills.
In a procedure called intradiscal electrothermal therapy, a surgeon inserts a heated wire into a painful disc.
Psychologists increasingly are being used to manage back pain because doctors are beginning to appreciate the role depression plays in back pain -- as a cause and an effect.
"There's no one drug that seems to be helpful in all patients, so we have to use a combination including narcotics, antidepressants, anticonvulsive and anti-inflammatory medications," Johnson says.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml