Addressing 5 Misconceptions Surrounding Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care is a method of regenerative medicine that concentrates on the natural, and non-invasive, promotion of health and wellness. Chiropractic care successfully addresses a wide variety of health problems and boosts overall wellness by utilizing a wide variety of therapeutic methods including: Spinal Manipulations Functional Medicine Physical Rehabilitation, Dietary analysis, essential oil and natural herb treatment, and acupuncture. 

Over the last few years, chiropractic care has become widely accepted by the medical community. However, there are still some misconceptions surrounding chiropractic care that impact the public’s perception.

This article intends to separate the “misconceptions” from the “truths” to help the reader get a better understanding of the benefits that chiropractic care really entails.
 
Misconception #1:
Chiropractic Physicians are Distrusted by Other Doctors

False impressions about exactly how other medical physicians view chiropractors developed primarily in the mid-20th century and are no longer prevalent. A collaboration of medical professionals from the American Medical Association (AMA) during the 1940s openly rejected chiropractic medicine and also tried to remove the occupation by portraying chiropractic physicians as “uneducated and unscientific charlatans”. Their efforts brought about misunderstandings regarding chiropractic specialists that lingered up until the 1980’s. A law suit in the 80’s discovered the AMA was found guilty of conspiring against chiropractic physicians.
Today, the role of chiropractic care within the medical field continues to expand. Academic research revealing the effectiveness of chiropractic care has been released in established medical journals, most notably the published works of the American Medical Organization and the American College of Physicians. The effectiveness of chiropractic therapy is well documented by clinical physicians and many medical facilities offer chiropractic services as a result.
 
Misconception #2:
Chiropractic Adjustments are Dangerous

Chiropractic Specialists are risk-free and are fully capable of improving your physical condition and overall wellness. Furthermore, chiropractic methods are typically more patient-friendly and less invasive than other medical procedures. Numerous studies have confirmed their safety and security.
 
Chiropractic treatment is an all-natural and risk-free alternative to other treatments such as surgery, steroids, and anti-inflammatories, all of which can present potentially harmful side effects and complications. From an unbiased and purely “financial standpoint” chiropractic physicians have much lower malpractice insurance rates than other medical physicians simply because injuries are monumentally more unlikely to occur.
 
Misconception #3:
Chiropractic Care Physicians Are Less Educated
Than “Actual” Physicians

Because chiropractic methods are holistic in nature, many individuals that are unfamiliar with the occupation assume that other doctors are somehow “more educated” and “more qualified” than chiropractic physicians.
According to the American Chiropractic Care Association (ACA) Chiropractic physicians across the country are trained extensively prior to their certifications. Their curriculum involves a minimum of 4,200 hours separated into classroom, labs, and clinical/teaching fellowships. Additionally, chiropractors must pass 4 sets of nationwide board examinations to acquire a certificate to practice in the United States.
 
Misconceptions #4: Chiropractic Physicians Only Treat Pain in the Back
While the general public assumes that chiropractors only diagnose and treat back pain, they also treat a large variety of symptoms including neuropathy, knee pain, hip pain, arthritis, shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue, sinus inflammation, and even chronic headaches.

Instead of assessing symptoms, chiropractors view their patients’ complaints as a product of “loss of function”. Therefore, symptoms are telling signs of one of the following variables or conditions:
Genetics Biomechanical disorders Acute Injury Osteopathology Lifestyle Poor Nutrition Accumulation of Scar Tissue Stress  

Misconception #5: Chiropractic Care is Just for Adults

While neurological “loss of function” is significantly more likely to progress in older individuals, the benefits of chiropractic treatment extend to all age demographics. Degeneration and osteoarthritis have to start somewhere, and one could even make the argument that severe cases could have been avoided or lessened if the patient had begun chiropractic treatment at younger age.