The Stigma of Chiropractic: Unveiling the Truth

Having been treated by dozens of different chiropractors and personally treating thousands of patients, I have heard it all, from both sides, about the stigma that the chiropractic profession has dealt with since its inception in 1895. No matter how much high-level, published research comes out about the safety, efficacy, and need for chiropractic care for people of all ages, there still lies a deep-rooted fear and misunderstanding around chiropractic care.

This article is aimed to help you better understand chiropractic as a whole and to help give you guidance when it comes to taking the steps of finding a chiropractor for you and/or your loved ones. I will start with some of the most common questions and hesitation around chiropractic care.

Chiropractic Care Doesn’t Fix the Problem

I hear all the time that when you start going to the chiropractor, you have to go forever. It doesn’t actually fix the problem, it helps with short-term, or acute, pain. This is one of those myths that has not changed with the evolution of the chiropractic profession.

I would have to agree that most chiropractors, who practice more traditional chiropractic methods, are not fixing the underlying issues that are actually causing the symptoms you may be experiencing. Well, not all chiropractors are the same, and this is true for almost every industry.

However, CBP Non-Profit is one of chiropractic’s leading research organizations with over 300 publications about the efficacy of corrective chiropractic by utilizing Chiropractic BioPhysics® methods. With corrective chiropractic, there is a thorough evaluation process that includes a physical and neurologic examination as well as radiographic imaging to get a deep understanding of your condition.

If while reviewing your results, there is need for further evaluation or imaging, your CBP® chiropractor will let you know. You see, in order to fix and underlying conditions, it is vitally important to have an understanding of what it is you are trying to fix and if there is anything that might complicate the process. I experience every day in my practice and hear from my colleagues practicing corrective chiropractic about helping people get rid of chronic pain, get off pain medication and opioids, cancel their scheduled surgical consultations, and start living healthy, more optimized lifestyles.

Chiropractic Care Hurts

If you have typed anything related to chiropractic into the google search bar, it does not surprise me that you may be under the impression that chiropractic may be painful or that it looks quite barbaric. Believe me, I cringe at most of the videos I see online too. While those treatments may actually be happening around the world, they are not for everybody and they do not showcase chiropractic’s true potential.

Chiropractic care is not about making loud noises and getting views online. Chiropractic care, specifically corrective chiropractic care, is focused on finding and correcting musculoskeletal imbalances and restrictions, remodeling your spine and posture, and optimizing your body’s health potential.

I think of starting this process as starting a new workout routine in the gym; you may be sore after you put your work in but as you go through the process your body gets better, stronger and embraces the change. The treatments shouldn’t cause pain, but as your body is going through changes it will have reactions and sometimes that can mean soreness, headaches, and nausea to name a few. As your body changes it will better be able to adapt to the stresses you are putting it through.

Once You Start You Never Stop

This is something that I get regularly from patients who have never sought out chiropractic care. If you go to a chiropractor and your first visit is a brief explanation of why you are in the office and then they proceed to get you treated and tell you to come back next week, I would consider looking for another chiropractor.

Chiropractic care should be tailored to each person’s individual needs and there should be a roadmap laid out. If you break your care down into phases, what are those phases? What are the goals? How do we check them? How long is each phase? Some of these questions can be answered after the initial evaluation and some of these questions depend on how well your body responds and adapts to treatment.

In general, after you correct any underlying issues, it is recommended to support and stabilize your body. If you just stop and go back to doing what you were doing before you started care, there is a high likelihood of your body reverting back to where it was. Whether you choose to correct your spine or support your body after correction, is completely up to you.

I just hope whoever you choose to start your care with is honest and upfront about your condition, what goes into correcting it, what happens if you don’t correct it and what it looks like from a big-picture perspective. Can you stop going to the gym after only a few times and expect those results to last? If you want results, lasting results, with anything it’s about consistency and making it a part of your lifestyle.

Don’t let the old thoughts around chiropractic or the new “viral videos” dissuade you from at least trying something that could help give you your life back. There is no price to put on your health. If you don’t have it, everything else you have worked so hard for is useless. Nobody says it’s easy, but putting time, energy, and money into the health of you and your loved ones is never wasted. If you have been to all of the doctors and “everything is fine” yet you continue to struggle with different health conditions, it’s time to take a different approach. I encourage you to search for a Chiropractic BioPhysics® Certified doctor in your area.