Is a Chiropractic Evaluation What I Need?

I have noticed many of our patients like to control their own health care. That is to say, they opt to visit on an as-needed basis. There is a simple test of equilibrium that can help the as-needed patient monitor their need for care. At the same time, the topic of equilibrium creates a "teachable moment" during which an interesting comparison can be made between pain relief the chiropractic way and pain relief the pharmaceutical way. Please feel free to use the following article on your bulletin board for lay lectures and for your practice newsletter.

When most people think of chiropractic care, they do so in terms back pain, neck pain, tension headache, sports injuries and similar problems. What many people don't realize is that the same vertebral misalignments or restrictions (subluxations) that can contribute to these painful problems also can disturb your balance.

Good inner-ear function, stable vision, and reliable muscle sense (kinesthesia) are all important for normal balance. Spinal subluxations can disturb any of these sensory functions, in turn creating disturbed balance and increasing the risk of falls and other injuries.1 There is a small but intriguing body of evidence indicating correction of these subluxations through the chiropractic adjustment can assist the body in normalizing these senses, while simultaneously speeding the body's response to painful spine-related problems.2

Although the published evidence demonstrating improved balance after chiropractic adjustments is not yet compelling, it is useful to compare chiropractic to the usual alternative. Commonly used painkilling drugs can drive your sense of balance way off. Most people have a common-sense understanding that muscle relaxants and narcotic painkillers can throw their balance off. What is not widely understood is that the inner ear can be upset by over-the-counter anti-inflamatories such as aspirin and ibuprofen.3 Therefore, even these seemingly "mild" over-the-counter painkillers can create balance problems.

Whether the origin of a balance problem is subluxation, drugs or some other cause, the early stages can be subtle. The following is a useful self-test to help you catch balance disturbances at an early stage:

Single-Leg Balance

First, a note of caution: If you have a recent history of dizziness or poor balance, only perform this test when someone is around. If you have recently sprained, dislocated or fractured any part of your lower extremity (from your hip down to your foot), wait until the injury has healed before doing this test. This test should be performed in flat shoes or bare feet.

Stand facing a corner of the room, so you can easily catch yourself if your balance is not as good as you think it is. With your arms at your sides, stand on one leg. You are shooting for 30 seconds. (If you have to hop, put your foot down or touch the wall, your time is over.) Now, do the same with your other leg. If your single-leg balance time is less than 30 seconds on either leg, then a spinal subluxation, drugs or some other influence may be disturbing your balance.

Failure to pass the single-leg balance test has been linked to an increased risk of falls and subsequent injury.4 A recent study indicates that a loss of balance may be an early warning sign of dementia in seniors.5 If you fail the single-leg balance test, a chiropractic evaluation would be an excellent idea, even if you were not in pain. If adjustments of vertebral subluxations do not improve your balance, your doctor of chiropractic can direct you to another type of practitioner for further evaluation.

If you are in pain, chiropractic care can help your body resolve the problem without risking new injury due to drug-related loss of balance.

Consider the wisdom of the saying: "Chiropractic first, drugs second, surgery last." We think you'll find this saying to be on firm footing.

Chiropractic Philosophy

The chiropractic perspective on health and disease emphasizes two fundamental concepts:

1) the structure and condition of the body influences how the body functions and its ability to heal itself; and

2) the mind-body relationship is instrumental in maintaining health and in the healing processes.

Although chiropractic shares much with other health professions, its emphasis and application of philosophy distinguishes it from modern medicine. Chiropractic philosophy gravitates toward a holistic ("total person") approach to healing which combines elements of the mind, body and spirit and maintains that health depends on obedience to natural laws, and that deviation from such laws can result in illness.

Chiropractic Philosophy includes:

emphasis on patient recuperative abilities rather than surgery

recognition that dynamics exist between lifestyle, environment and health

understanding the cause of illness in order to eliminate it, rather than simply treat symptoms

recognition of the centrality of the nervous system and its intimate relationship with the capacities of the human body

balancing benefits versus risks of clinical interventions

recognition of the primary importance of monitoring progress closely through appropriate diagnostic procedures

a patient-centered, hands-on approach focused on influencing function through structure

focus on early intervention emphasizing timely diagnosis and treatment of conditions that are wholly functional and reversible.

Chiropractic philosophy blends an effective combination of conviction, critical thinking, open-mindedness, and appreciation of the natural order of things.

Chiropractic focuses on the establishment and maintenance of a relationship between patients and their environment which is most conducive to functional well-being.

Your First Choice = Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic:
Better Your First Choice, Not the Last Resort for Spinal Pain

Chiropractors all over the world frequently have new patients confide in them that they are in the chiropractor's office because, They've "tried everything else". These people have seen a slew of doctors of every specialty. These new patients have an unhealthy familiarity with over-the-counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatories. They likely have as much experience with prescription drugs. They arrive with several pounds of x-rays and a diagnosis from Mayo Clinic. They really have tried everything else. Some have undergone one or more spinal surgeries. X-rays reveal rods and screws and wires along with the expected bones.

This leaves the chiropractor at somewhat of a disadvantage. We chiropractors can help effect a great deal of beneficial change in people's spines. Our practices are full because of the expertise chiropractors possess to work toward realigning misaligned painful spinal joints and returning the body to maximum function. However, once there are rods and screws involved we can only work with the existing healthier joints. We can maximize what is there; we just can't do anything about replacing what health and mobility has been permanently lost. Of course, we are more than willing to do the very best we can with what we have.

This article suggests to you that chiropractic may often be your first choice for spinal health care. It can also be your last resort, but what makes chiropractic a superior option from the get-go is that it is non-invasive. Chiropractic also works simply to help the body's natural inborn ability to heal. Workers Compensation studies have time and again shown that chiropractic care for back pain is less costly than other options and returns the employee to work more quickly. A recent Rand study defined chiropractic as the primary option for many low back pain sufferers.

The facts are mounting in chiropractic's favor from patient satisfaction to long-term pain relief. Please consider, also, that there is no expensive hospital stay or drug side effects to be concerned with when experiencing the benefits of chiropractic spinal adjustments. Often, results seem miraculous to people who have suffered long and hard.

Contrast this with the information released by the Cochrane Collaboration, an international network of health-science research volunteers. This group, after reviewing clinical studies, reports on what is and is not supported in the scientific literature. In a recent article printed in Spine, the Cochrane Collaboration reported findings on surgical treatments for several types of low back conditions which showed good evidence for some types of spinal surgeries, but little or no evidence for others.

Just this information alone might make a back pain sufferer look to the less invasive options for correcting the cause of back pain. We are asking you to be informed consumers. We are suggesting, again, that chiropractic should be the first choice which is better than the last resort.