What are the Long Term Benefits of Chiropractic Care?

What Are the Long Term Benefits of Chiropractic Care

We all know that chiropractic care can help us when we’re having back problems or “back attacks.”  There are a host of short and long-term benefits that are also available with this type of care.  Some of the long-term benefits may be less well known but are well worth considering and knowing. 

Reduces Neck Pain

Unfortunately, the older you get the more common neck pain becomes. This is especially true if you sit for many hours a day as most Americans do. Chiropractic care can help ease your neck pain by realigning your spine and easing the tensions in your neck muscles. 

Research has shown that 12 weeks of spinal manipulation can be more effective than medication. Cervical spine manipulation can also help in the short term by modifying levels of neuropeptides in the blood. These are proteins made in the nervous system and function as neurotransmitters or hormones. 

Less Dependent on Painkillers

People with chronic neck or back pain are too often given prescriptions for opioid pain relievers to help manage their symptoms. While these painkillers can help ease the pain, they only treat the symptoms and not the root cause. Another issue is that these painkillers can be highly addictive, which can lead to other problems over time. 

Chiropractic care can lessen your need to take pain relievers. Recent research shows that those who visit a chiropractor and their doctor are less likely to be given an opioid prescription and have it filled than those who just visit their doctor. 

Ease Chronic Back Pain

Obviously, the main benefit of chiropractic care is that it will help ease chronic back pain. It is viewed as a preferred alternative to invasive treatments such as surgery or injections. The American College of Physicians recommends that doctors encourage those with lower back pain to first seek non-medication treatment before taking medication. Those treatment options include:

  • Chiropractic care
  • Exercise 
  • Acupuncture
  • Yoga
  • Tai Chi
  • Muscle relaxation
  • Meditation

Research shows that spinal manipulation can result in moderate improvement for short-term back pain and can result in moderate improvement for function for up to six weeks. 

Ease Headaches

Chiropractic care can also help ease headaches. That is since neck pain and upper back pain can cause tension headaches. These headaches originate in your neck and make it next to impossible to focus on anything other than the pain you are feeling. 

Research shows that upper thoracic spine manipulation can be more effective than movement and exercise for relieving pain in people with chronic headaches. This finding was also supported in long-term research.

Less Expensive Treatment Option

Conventional back pain treatment options can become expensive. This is especially true once surgery and medications are involved. Researchers believe that chiropractic care can be a cheaper, and at times, more effective treatment option than traditional methods. 

Recent research shows that people who received chiropractic treatment had a lower overall treatment cost than those that didn’t. The same research shows that their chiropractic treatment duration was shorter than those who went the other route.

Are You Looking for Alternate Treatment Options?

Are you looking for alternative and functional treatment options, like chiropractic care, in the Rockville, Maryland area? If so, Dr. Leo and our team at Today’s Integrative Health are here to help! We offer a wide range of functional treatment options, including chiropractic care.

Come and visit us at our office! We are located at 6321 Executive Blvd, Rockville, MD 20852, in the Executive. We look forward to helping you take control of your health. Dr L.J. Leo DO, DC and Dr Julie Rosenberg DC provide comprehensive medical and chiropractic care to residents in Rockville and Bethesda, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

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Dr. L. J. Leo

Dr. Leo began his education at the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia, where he earned his doctorate in osteopathy. He completed his internal medicine residency through the U.S. Army and had the honor of serving multiple overseas tours before retirement.

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