We see quite a few back pain patients in our Harrisburg practice, and Blake Chiropractic & Rehabilitation has been able to provide a lot of them get relief with chiropractic. However, recovering from back pain doesn't necessarily mean having to make a choice between chiropractic care and medical therapy, as many individuals use both types of care with great success.
In a study published by the medical journal Spine investigators1 looked at a group of active-duty military personnel between the ages of 18 and 35 who claimed both acute pain and restricted function due to back pain. Some of the study participants engaged in treatment via standard medical care, while the remainder received chiropractic care as well as standard medical care, as researchers wanted to see which group fared better.
The authors found that the group that got standard medical care along with chiropractic care scored "significantly better" than the group that received medical care alone; 73% reported positive benefits compared to just 17% of the medical treatment only group who reported the same amount of improvement. This was true regarding both pain and level of function at the two- and four-week marks.
Thus, integrating these two forms of treatment can greatly benefit you--the patient--offering advantages when compared to medical care alone. However, while chiropractic care and medical approaches can work alongside each other, chiropractic offers some unique strengths over medical therapy.
Although it might seem as if each approach plays a 50-50 role, there is one major advantage that chiropractic has over medical treatment and that is in patient satisfaction. In fact, one bit of research done at UCLA2 that was published in the American Journal of Public Health found that, on average, chiropractic patients are generally more satisfied with their recovery than people undergoing medical care.
According to the researchers, the main aspects that patients preferred over medical treatment were "self-care advice and explanation of treatment." This isn't unexpected, as chiropractors typically spend much more time consulting with their patients as to how they can improve their health on their own, as well as outlining more thoroughly what to expect from chiropractic.
Certainly, the techniques associated with chiropractic are quite different than those provided with medical care, but a large amount of the distinction is the fact that chiropractic is a holistic approach to health and well-being. In contrast to focusing on simply relieving the symptoms, chiropractic involves finding the root cause of your pain, which often translates to greater improvement as you are addressing the problem at its source.
Furthermore, while medication is sometimes helpful for managing certain conditions, many health issues respond well to a natural approach like chiropractic care. This means fewer negative responses to prescriptions and lasting recovery.
You don't have to struggle with back pain or other health issues. Give our Harrisburg clinic a call today at (717) 657-2561. We'll do everything we can to help you get and remain free from back pain.
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Trust the medical professionals at Blake Chiropractic & Rehab for all of your chiropractic needs. We have more than 26 years of experience and work to ensure your complete satisfaction. Our staff is dedicated to providing top-quality chiropractic care, so make an appointment today. We are conveniently located right off Route 22, beside the Colonial Park Fire Department, and accept most major insurance plans.
