Despite how far chiropractic care has come over the past century, there is still a large portion of people who don't “believe” in its effectiveness despite numerous research studies and major health care organizations supporting it’s use.. It's still considered a pseudoscience for many. Even though scores of people sing its praises, touting actual, personal results, some are just hard to convince.
When you tell someone you are a chiropractor, you likely get a variety of reactions - and not all of them good ones. But why?
Cracking Skepticism About Chiropractic
According to a 2006 Gallup poll, chiropractor got rated very last in a list of medical professionals when it came to people's impressions about their ethics and honesty.
And, according to a poll done by Gallup in conjunction with Palmer College of Chiropractic, 22% of Americans stated that they would be "not very likely" to see a chiropractor for back or neck pain, and 18% said they would be "not likely at all."
Due to several reasons, there is still some stigma against chiropractic care in our country and around the world.
Some of it is due to fear. Much of it is because people are not well-informed about chiropractic care.
Fortunately, in recent years, more and more chiropractors and their patients are participating in studies and research. As these things grow and develop, several irrefutable chiropractic facts have emerged. Some benefits have been scientifically proven, far beyond the simple anecdotal evidence of the past.
More and more people are beginning to feel more confident about chiropractic methods and treatments, and as a result, people are starting to flock to chiropractors nationwide in search of relief from pain. In many cases, they are getting the relief that they seek.
There are still doubters out there, though. When you encounter one, it is now easier than ever to prove that chiropractic is real, is effective, and is here to stay. Read on to learn ten chiropractic facts to win over the skeptics you meet.
Research-Based Chiropractic Facts
Thanks to diligent and curious researchers, there is a ton of publications supporting chiropractic care.
1. Military Study
According to one recent study, chiropractic care was effective in helping people suffering from lower back pain when included in a comprehensive treatment plan.
750 active-duty military patients enrolled in a study last year to treat lower back pain. Lower back pain is common in the military, and can often result in absences from duty. Participants in the study received regular medical care, including pain medications, physical therapy, and exercises, or that same treatment plus chiropractic care.
The participants received the treatment for six weeks and then were tracked for another six weeks. Researchers found that at every step along the way, the patients receiving the chiropractic care were doing better. Their pain was less frequent and less intense.
2. Comparative Effectiveness
Another study, cited by the American Chiropractic Association on their webpage, found that when chiropractic care was compared with medical care, chiropractic care was more effective. That study, published in Spine, found that 94% of chiropractic patients experienced a 30% reduction in their pain, compared to only 54% of the patients who only received traditional medical care.
3. Neck Pain
Both the Quebec Task Force on Whiplash of 1995 and the Bone and Joint Decade Neck Pain Task Force of 2008 agreed that chiropractic care is often beneficial for people who have non-specific neck pain. Besides back pain, neck pain is the second largest cause of musculoskeletal disability, and many people seek relief from it around the world.
4. Headaches
Although for a long time, many many headaches were thought to be tension headaches or migraines, but the International Headache Society now recognizes that most headaches are cervicogenic. Cervicogenic pain is pain that radiates from the neck into the head. The International Headache Society reports that chiropractic care is often helpful in treating these types of headaches.
5. Back Pain
According to an article published by Gallup in 2016, 65% of American adults have sought care for neck or back pain in their lifetimes, and 25% did so in the past year. 35.5 million adults visited a chiropractor for their pain in the past year, too. 67% of the people that Gallup surveyed about the chiropractic care found it to be effective.
6. More Positive Feedback
In a Consumer Reports survey published in Consumer Reports magazine in March of 2013, chiropractic care was the number one best way to take care of back pain, according to consumers. It beat out prescription medication, deep-tissue massage, and more.
7. Licensing
Chiropractors are trained and licensed, just like other medical professionals. To become licensed, they must earn a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree, which takes four years after at least three years of undergraduate work.
They also must pass the challenging National Board of Chiropractic Examiners exam and must receive a state license. Once licensed, they must complete continuing education requirements each year throughout their career.
8. Joint Commission
In 2015, the Joint Commission, the organization that provides and reviews the accreditation of over 20,000 health care systems in our country, added chiropractic and other non-drug care to its pain management standard. This was a huge move that helped to legitimize this discipline nationwide.
9. Medicare and Medicaid
Congress took this as a good sign. Soon after this declaration by the Joint Commission, coverage for chiropractic services was added to both national Medicare and Medicaid programs.
10. Congress On Board
Furthermore, Congress went a step further with their overall faith in chiropractic care. After adding chiropractic services to Medicare and Medicaid, they also added it to their congressional health plan. All members of Congress are covered for chiropractic, and many of them see chiropractors for their health.
The Proof
The more people who understand the value or chiropractic care; the more people we will be able to help. So, get out there and start telling everyone these great chiropractic facts. They'll thank you for them!
If you want to read more about facts about chiropractic, or about ways to market your chiropractic practice, check out our blog.