People who have benefited from chiropractic treatment can attest to how helpful it is in their recovery from health problems and in their pursuit for optimal health and body wellness. However, the advocacy dives into the sphere of myth when chiropractic is promoted as a “one shot – cure all” kind of medical treatment.
Chiropractic is a complementary branch of medicine which deals with the diagnosis and treatment (via manipulation) of misaligned joints with a special focus on the spine. Misaligned discs on the spine are held to be ones causing some of the conditions that impact the muscles, bones, and nerves. Most patients will seek a session with a chiropractor when they feel the symptoms of such conditions. The most common ones are:
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Shoulder pain
- Headaches and migraine
- Aches related to pregnancy
- Post-natal aches
- Hip and thigh pain (sciatica)
- Erratic digestive functioning
Any condition or symptom that relates to the nerves, bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles may be treatable by chiropractic standards, since chiropractic is a medical modality which deals with the musculoskeletal and nervous systems of the body. A learned chiropractor will know when to refer the patient to another medical professional of a different speciality, if the disorder cannot be treated by chiropractic techniques.
The thing is, most chiropractic practitioners are not just schooled in chiropractic medicine; some of them have been trained (and certified by the board) in field of neurology, orthopaedic science, medical nutrition, physical and sports rehabilitation, among others. So yes, given their other trainings and certifications, they can indeed provide treatment outside the confines of just correcting spinal misalignments. It is essential that you check with their clinic records and/or with the chiropractors themselves if they do have such accreditations.
Chiropractors admit that, just like other healthcare practitioners with specific training on a certain field of medicine, there are disorders and injuries that are outside the realm of their expertise. Cases like emergencies and life threatening injuries can be more appropriately handled by medical doctors who have been trained to do first aid and resuscitative treatment on patients who urgently need them. Aside from life-threatening emergencies, other cases and conditions that are best cared for by contemporary medical doctors are: cancerous tumours, acute fractures, injuries of which surgery is the only option for treatment, chronic disorders of internal organs, and communicable diseases.
Reference:
Koutsky, J. (20 November 2015) “6 Things Chiropractors Can Help With—And What They Can’t.” Prevention. Retrieved from www.prevention.com
Image c/o Jmarchn (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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