5 Common Chiropractic Myths Debunked

Nothing beats the feeling of cracking your bones and releasing the tension from your body, making you feel light as if on cloud nine. According to a study by the Annals of Internal Medicine, people seeking treatment from chiropractic services have tripled in the past 20 years.

By now, you may have already heard about the chiropractic buzz, which has grown louder in medical and social circles. However, how much of that buzz contains the right information when it comes to chiropractic treatment?

You might have already heard some myths circulating among the crowd when looking up about chiropractic care. Thus, to treat the misinformation cluttering both online and offline, we’re debunking some common chiropractic myths surrounding the chiropractic world.

Chiropractors are Quack Doctors
The top common myth about chiropractors is that they are quack, untrained, and unregulated so-called doctors that only crack a person’s back.

Contrary to this belief, becoming a professional chiropractor takes five years of intense university study—which is more than a bachelor’s degree. When someone is training to be a chiropractor, they are required to take over 1,600 hours of clinical work, depending on the country and university.

A chiropractor must earn the title of Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C) and get a state license to be recognized as a full professional chiropractor. Thus, it is pure misinformation that chiropractors are quack and untrained doctors that do not undergo certified training in a professional chiropractic study.

Chiropractic Treatment is a Health Risk
Chiropractic treatment as a health risk is a big misconception about the said alternative medical service. It is considered to be dangerous instead of providing comfort and relief to one’s spine and back.

On the contrary, chiropractic care is deemed a safer option as a means of managing and alleviating pain than being fully reliant on medical drugs.

To prove that chiropractic service is not a health risk, a study published by medical professionals from the Ontario Ministry of Health found no evidence that chiropractic treatment is indeed dangerous to the body.  Instead, chiropractic care is only deemed unsafe when it is performed by an unqualified chiropractor, especially one without a certificate proving their eligibility.

Thus, it is crucial that when seeking chiropractic care, you should go for a recommended chiropractic professional with a distinguished chiropractic background in your state, just like Macquarie Chiro, who is based in Australia.

Chiropractic Treatment is Only About Back Cracking
Chiropractic treatment is focused on spinal manipulation or “adjustment” in layman’s terms. However, it is wrong to say that chiropractic services are only for cracking backs.

This myth defies the in-depth understanding professionals of this field have about a human’s spine, its related structures, soft tissues, and its intricate connection to the body’s function.

Although the treatment chiropractors offer relieves tension and back pain, spinal manipulation also provides other relief. For instance, the adjustments increase a person’s body’s range of motion while also providing therapeutic stretchings and alleviation of other musculoskeletal body pains.

Spinal Adjustment is Painful

Hearing the bones crack would truly raise anxiety and fear in a person that has never experienced chiropractic services before. However, in general, the adjustments done by a chiropractor does not hurt. Instead, many patients report that they immediately feel pain and tension relief from the areas that were given treatment.

During the adjustment, you may hear a cracking or popping sound, which is often mistaken as a result of the pressured bones and joints throughout the chiropractic treatment. However, the sounds that come from bone-cracking is a form of gas bubble relief from the joints, which is similar to your knuckle cracking.

Chiropractic Treatment is Ineffective
Chiropractic treatment has been questioned on its effectiveness. However, many studies have supported and built a solid foundation of evidence that chiropractic care helps in musculoskeletal conditions. These conditions range from migraine headaches and back pain to chronic pain and sports injuries.

A supporting fact for the treatment’s efficacy would be the recommendation of numerous clinical practice guidelines. The American College of Physicians and American Pain Society, Bone and Joint Decade Task Force, and Britain’s National Institute of Health and Care Excellence recommend that Spinal Manipulative Therapy or (SMT) be the first-line intervention for musculoskeletal condition.

Additionally, there is a study that was published by the National Centre for Biotechnology or (NCBI), wherein results show that 93 percent of the patients that suffer from chronic whiplash syndrome improved their health through chiropractic treatment.

Takeaway
The facts that were stated in this article strongly show that chiropractors are just as well trained and qualified to treat conditions in their field of expertise, just as medical doctors do. Moreover, the spine is a significant part of your body that is crucial to body functions. Show your spine a little love by giving it proper attention from professional chiropractors.