One criticism of chiropractic is that once you start going, you will go for the rest of your life. The fact of the matter is that there is no cure for back pain, and there is a reoccurence rate of 80% of back pain within one year of the acute episode. Our bodies are under constant stress, physically from our work, home and play; chemically from the food we eat to the environment we are in; and also mentally from the fast paced lifestyle of today. Hence chiropractors often recommend two types of maintenance care following an acute episode.
Supportive care is defined as treatment for patients who have reached maximum improvement, but who fail to sustain this improvement or progressively deteriorate when treatment is withdrawn. Preventative care is treatment for a patient who has no present symptoms, but seek to prevent pain and disability, promote health and enhance quality of life. More people are taking charge of their bodies and imbracing wellness and optimal health as opposed to the reactionary medical model who seek care after disease has taken place.
A well designed medical trial on manipulation in essence adopted the chiropractic model of an initial course of intensive manipulation followed by maintenance treatment at a reduced frequency, and reported this to be effective. This trial covered three contentious issues in maintenance care: whether the benefits of spinal manipulation derive from specific treatment or placebo effect; whether there are objective biomechanical benefits of manipulation and whether continued care has a legitimate role. To view an abstract of this article, click http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21245790
This is an excellent initiative Shannon! It is important to debunk myths with concrete information. The fact that you also provide links to support your statements is important. Education is the key in dispelling ignorance!
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