BACK PAIN: CAN A CHIROPRACTOR HELP?
Physicians usually have a rather negative attitude about the manipulations performed by chiropractors. However, many people think very highly of the care they have received from them. Relief from pain sometimes occurs after treatment by chiropractors.
The methods used by chiropractors to achieve their results are difficult to evaluate completely. Some physicians specializing in rehabilitation or orthopedics and a number of physiotherapists have learned the techniques of manipulation practiced by chiropractors and employ them judiciously in some patients.
My main concern about the consultation of chiropractors by the elderly is that so many different problems can cause back pain or other types of joint pain. If, by chance, a manipulation is performed on the back of a person with a serious disease other than a mechanical derangement, severe damage can occur. The thinner bones of the elderly are also more prone to injury. Damage to nerves is more likely in the eldery if manipulations are carried out when nerves are being pressed by parts of the vertebrae.
You might decide to continue to go to a chiropractor despite the advice of your physician, especially if you have experienced prompt relief from back discomfort after your chiropractic treatment. If your pain is not relieved as quickly as usual, however, I recommend getting a medical opinion in order to verify that the pain is not from another disorder, the proper treatment of which might not be chiropractic manipulation.
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