Chiropractic care has been around since 1895, but in reality it dates back much further than that. The earliest records of manipulative therapy/chiropractic care date back to 400-385 BCE in Europe. In the time between then and now manipulative therapy and chiropractic have fallen in and out of favor with the medical community. As of today, chiropractic care is becoming looked at as a more favorable alternative to “modern medicine” practices such as: opioids, spinal surgeries in some cases, auto accidents, etc. (1)
So now lets get down to business!
1.Improved Sports Performance Doctors of Chiropractic (DC) have been working with various professional teams to help with performance. All 32 NFL teams, all 30 NBA teams, and the Olympic training centers have DC on staff. The conditions that they help manage for athletes are relieving pressure in the joints, soft tissue (muscles), and spinal and extremity adjustments, muscle strains, tendon and ligament sprains.
Some of the benefits mentioned above bring are increased mobility, better hand-eye coordination, improved balance, faster reaction time to name a few.
2. Improved Recovery Time  After being in an auto-accident research has shown that the sooner you see a chiropractic physician, massage therapist or physical therapist (usually a combination of all 3) the better your long term outcome. As well as with most muscular or skeletal complaint whether it be low back pain, neck pain, arm or leg pain. Chiropractor may be able to help get you feeling better faster.(2)
3. Headache Relief  Headaches are an area that has had lots of research in favor of Chiropractic care to help in the management of headaches. There is evidence that with chiropractic intervention can reduce frequency, duration, and severity of headaches. (3)
4. Reduces Chronic Pain In the United states and Canada low back pain is the most common occupational injury and affects more than 10% of the population at one time or another. It is ranked number 6 in reasons for seeking medical help when it comes to medical cost. Through a combination of Chiropractic care, rehabilitation exercises and education we care able to have improved outcomes at less cost than using usual modern medical care.(4)
5. Reduce Inflammation Chiropractic adjustments have been shown in studies to reduce inflammation and improve blood flow. Combining these two benefits alone can decrease your pain and allow for more pain free movement and improved overall health. (5)
Chiropractic care has helped me when I was dancing on a competitive and performing ballroom dance team through my high school and college years, and also inspired me to become a sports chiropractor. I would get sprains strains and “tweak” my back all the time while dancing and the Chiropractor helped me get back on the floor and perform the best that I could.
1. Pettman E. (2007). A history of manipulative therapy. The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy, 15(3), 165-74.
2. Goertz, C. M., Long, C. R., Vining, R. D., Pohlman, K. A., Walter, J., & Coulter, I. (2018). Effect of Usual Medical Care Plus Chiropractic Care vs Usual Medical Care Alone on Pain and Disability Among US Service Members With Low Back Pain: A Comparative Effectiveness Clinical Trial. JAMA network open, 1(1), e180105. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.0105
3. Chaibi, A., Benth, J. Š., Tuchin, P. J., & Russell, M. B. (2016). Chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine: a three-armed, single-blinded, placebo, randomized controlled trial. European journal of neurology, 24(1), 143-153.
4. Blanchette, M. A., Bussières, A., Stochkendahl, M. J., Boruff, J., & Harrison, P. (2015). Effectiveness and economic evaluation of chiropractic care for the treatment of low back pain: a systematic review protocol. Systematic reviews, 4, 30. doi:10.1186/s13643-015-0015-5
5. Roy, R. A., Boucher, J. P., & Comtois, A. S. (2010). Inflammatory response following a short-term course of chiropractic treatment in subjects with and without chronic low back pain. Journal of chiropractic medicine, 9(3), 107-14.
