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Some chiropractors limit their practices to back pain, headache and similar musculoskeletal complaints, but some contend that chiropractic manipulation is the appropriate treatment for a wide-range of conditions, including those that aren't related to the musculoskeletal system. Most also focus on preventive care, which may include regular adjustments of returning musculoskeletal imbalances for health maintenance.
Many health care professionals (including many chiropractors) contend that chiropractic treatment should focus only on musculoskeletal conditions. And, in fact, studies show that chiropractic manipulation seems to have the best results for acute back pain, particularly lower-back pain. It may also be an effective therapy for muscle spasms, nerve inflammation, headache, joint pain and various other musculoskeletal problems. According to a RAND study, more than 94 percent of all spinal manipulations are administered by chiropractors.
Many chiropractors also address problems unique to women, suggesting chiropractic care for pregnant and postpartum women, as well as those suffering from premenstrual syndrome and menstrual cramps. According to a study performed through the National University of Health Sciences, 88 percent of women receiving chiropractic treatment said it reduced menstrual pain. The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reported that spinal manipulation might provide short-term relief of menstrual pain.
Chiropractic neurologists are a growing specialty, treating patients with a variety of conditions, including hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder and autism.
Sciatica (pain in the lower back and hip that spreads down the back of the thigh into the leg), asthma, high blood pressure, tension headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoporosis, severe temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) and neurological pain are among the disorders treated by chiropractors, certain of them directly such as tension headaches, and others indirectly, such as osteoporosis, by addressing the symptoms. However conditions of the blood, heart, lungs and other organs, as well as infectious diseases or injuries, require treatment by medical health care professionals. If you are under the care of a specialist, discuss your interest in chiropractic treatment with your health care team: don't ignore your regular course of treatment: many conditions today are more effectively co-managed by a variety of health care professionals.
Medical and chiropractic physicians have been in the process for many years now of building professional bridges. You should have no difficulty attaining cooperation between a medical and a chiropractic doctor.
Increasing Acceptance
Chiropractic care has been the object of skepticism and even scorn by certain conventional health care professionals. But the practice has gained much respect in recent years, and many health care professionals will refer patients to chiropractors on occasion. A recent report from Washington state points out that fully 57 percent of medical doctors refer their patients with back pain to chiropractors and that two-thirds of them would like to learn more about exactly what it is chiropractors do. Your health plan may even cover chiropractic treatment. Ninety-two percent of preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and 57 percent of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) include chiropractic benefits.
Active duty personnel in the U.S. armed forces now have guaranteed access to a permanent chiropractic benefit. On October 30, 2000, President Bill Clinton signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001, requiring access to chiropractic services which includes, at a minimum, care for neuromusculoskeletal conditions typical among military personnel on active duty. The law requires that full implementation of the benefit be phased in over a five-year period, throughout all three service branches of the military. When completed, all active duty personnel stationed in the U.S. and overseas are to have access to chiropractic care.
A similar bill was signed into law in 2002, providing chiropractic care for United States Armed Forces veterans. It should be noted that 20 percent of all medical military discharges are for low back pain.
Respect for chiropractic has increased because of the therapy's track record as an appropriate treatment, particularly for early-stage lower-back pain, which is the second most costly medical problem in America. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that chiropractic manipulation has been shown to have a "reasonably good degree of efficacy in relieving back pain, headaches and similar musculoskeletal problems."
Several studies indicate that chiropractic patients are more satisfied with their treatment than are those who receive traditional medical care and that they are less likely to seek care elsewhere for the same problem. Chiropractic patients also have the perception that chiropractors spend more face-to-face time with them than do their other health care professionals.