Pain Relief
Chiropractic care and chiropractic manipulative therapy (CMT) are known for their ability to reduce pain and other symptoms. A 1999 study in The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association found that patients suffering from acute neck pain experienced less pain intensity and more range of motion when CMT was applied on the affected side of the pain.
Low back pain can also be treated with chiropractic care. According to a 1995 study in the British Medical Journal, low-back pain patients who received chiropractic care had more long-term satisfaction and benefit than those who were treated by hospital therapists. Researchers suggest that low-back pain treatment with chiropractic may be more effective than hospital therapists because patients receiving chiropractic care often receive longer durations of care.
Improved Joint Range Of Motion
Chiropractic care focuses on joint health and aims to maximize patients’ ranges of motion. Chiropractic care uses the ability to move the body, including the spine, through full, dynamic ranges is motion, to assess a patient’s progress toward optimal structural health.
CMT may be used by chiropractors to improve segmental joint range. However, many chiropractors also do soft tissue work to muscles, ligaments, and tendons around a joint to enhance or augment the effects of CMT. Many chiropractors will recommend specific range of motion exercises to their patients that can be done at home. The American Chiropractic Association states that range of motion exercises can help maintain normal joint movement, improve joint flexibility, and increase a patient’s ability to do daily activities in pain-free conditions.
Improved Quality of Life
Patients who have received chiropractic care say that they experience a better quality of life. A 2001 study in the Journal of Manipulative & Physiological Therapy found that chiropractic care can be effective in managing patients with cancer and improving their quality of living. Holistic chiropractors use multiple treatment methods and spend a lot of time with their patients. They counsel patients about diet and lifestyle and provide appropriate referrals to local providers, both alternative and biomedical, based on each patient’s needs.
The amount of time spent with patients by chiropractors and the personalized care they receive often determine their satisfaction with chiropractic care. Patients who receive care from other health professionals such as naturopathic doctors, who treat root causes of illness, also find this true.