Chiropractic care is becoming more and more popular, thanks to Olympic-level athletes and professional teams making use of spinal adjustments to help manage pain naturally. And yet, there is still a widespread distrust in chiropractors.
But this is simply the result of a lack of understanding in chiropractic medicine. There are a lot of myths floating around and leading to false assumptions. Because of this chiropractic care remains controversial.
Many people ask: “are chiropractors doctors?” and other questions like “does chiropractic care cause stroke?”
Most of these myths have already been debunked time and time again. But they persist because of misinformation. And so we are here to debunk them once again.
“It only takes one bad experience for a person to develop an anti-chiro mindset,” said Dr. Gavan Graham from Pearson Chiropractic. “Also, some of those “not-so-good” chiropractors claim they can heal any condition. That’s not possible for any branch of medicine.”
Unfortunately, just like in every industry and every type of healthcare, there are poor practitioners. And because chiropractic treatment is not considered “mainstream,” people are quick to dismiss the entire thing.
Patients should understand that chiropractic care is a physical treatment used to improve the function and movement of the joints being adjusted. Chiropractors use spinal adjustments to deal with misaligned or “stuck” joints that have the potential to put pressure on a nerve causing pain directly.
Typically, these joints will also suffer from inflammation and/or swelling. The chiropractor’s job is to get the joint moving within its normal limits. This is enough to relieve pain without the use of medications. This is what brings patients in, in the first place.
Chiropractors are not medical doctors. But they have medical training. They can only become a chiropractor by attending an accredited chiropractic school and achieving a Doctor of Chiropractic.
“All chiros have completed at least three years of undergraduate to meet prerequisites for chiropractic school. At that point, you can enter chiropractic school, but most students complete their bachelors,” says Graham.
Most patients are worried about spinal adjustments because of the popping sound that is made during adjustments. But these are just made by air bubbles being released between joints. The procedure is safe, painless, and even relaxing.
Saying that chiropractic care causes stroke is a stretch, as these instances are extremely rare and have the same probability as getting one after visiting a medical doctor. Chiropractors deliver millions of safe spinal adjustments each year.
But to say that the practice is perfectly safe is also inaccurate, simply because no healthcare treatment is. “There is an inherent risk with any type of treatment from a chiropractor, medical doctor, or physical therapist. Our exam is used to determine if our patients are healthy enough to receive chiropractic care and find any red flags that would preclude someone from being treated,” says Graham.
Visit a local chiropractor today and experience the benefits of spinal manipulation.
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