What are the health benefits of chiropractic care?
Approximately4.5 million Canadians or 22 million Americans visit a Chiropractic Clinic annually. The most common reasons Canadians visit chiropractors is to treat headaches and reduced pain in the back and neck. Nevertheless, that is not the only reason to see a chiropractor. The purpose of this article is to share with you the health benefits of chiropractic care. Some of the reasons Canadians receive chiropractic care is to improved sports performance, relief from workplace and repetitive strain injuries; as well as an improved quality of life. My name is Dr. Joel Dixon a Chiropractor in Kitchener Ontario.
1. Chiropractic Care Improves Sports Performance
Athletes place a significant amount of strain on their bodies and as a result need on-going care to stay at their peak performance. Chiropractors have worked the best athletes in all sports including: Michael Jordan, Derek Rose, Sidney Crosby, Barry Bonds, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Tiger Woods, Fred Funk and Andre De Grasse to name only a few.
As you can see chiropractic care is highly utilized among professional athletes. However, you do not need to be Michael Jordan or Sidney Crosby to receive chiropractic care for sports injuries. Chiropractic Care can also help the weekend warriors and recreational athletes.
Some of the sports injuries that respond to chiropractic care are rotator cuff injuries, tennis/golfers elbow, jumper’s knee, Achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciitis and more. Chiropractors who have received additional training outside of school are also well suited to manage concussion and treat persistent symptoms that occur with post concussion syndrome.
The important thing to remember when finding a chiropractor to treat a sports injury is that not every chiropractor treats sports injuries. Therefore, you want to find someone who has additional training and consistently treats athletes.
2. Chiropractic Care Relieves Repetitive Strain Injuries and Workplace Injuries
There is an increased reliance in the workplace on technology, which has improved productivity. However, the long hours of sitting in a chair and looking down at our screens has caused a number of workplace injuries. Two of the most common workplace injuries are neck pain and neck pain headaches as a result of text neck; and low back pain from sitting for prolonged periods of time.
Text neck is the result of tilting your head down to look at your computer screen or phone. Research has shown that tilting your head as little as 15 degrees places 27 lbs of force on the neck. And bending your head 60 degrees places 60 lbs of force on the neck. Most of that force is concentrated at level of the C5/C6 intervertebral disc, which is the most common location in the neck to have a disc herniation. Although a herniated disc in the neck can occur as a result of text neck, the more common complaints are neck pain and neck pain related headaches.
In the United States and Canada, the most common workplace injury is low back pain. According the World Health Organization, low back pain is the most common cause of workplace absence in the developed world. When we sit there is more compression on our spine than when we are standing. Research has shown that the muscles of the back provide the stability to the spine and prevent injury. However, when we sit for a prolonged time these muscles shut off leaving our back susceptible to injury. This is the reason why so many office workers and truck drivers have low back pain.
Chiropractors can alleviate these repetitive strain, work place injuries by providing spinal manipulation to the joint to increase range of motion and decrease pain. Soft tissue therapy or acupuncture can help relax tight muscles, and postural exercises can prevent some of these workplace injuries. It is important to see a chiropractor who uses a variety of techniques and will spend the time to show you exercises.
3. Chiropractic Care Improves Quality of Life
Quality of life is the assessment of an individuals well-being and their perceived quality of life. There are a number of factors that relate to quality of life including wealth, education and health. An individual’s quality of life in relation to their health can be perceived as an absence of a chronic illness; as well as an absence of pain and a full range of motion.
Fortunately, Canadians have access to some of the best health care in the world and thus chronic illness is lower in Canada than other countries. Nevertheless, a study in the JMPT found an integrative approach to health care, including chiropractic, resulted in a 51.8% reduction in pharmaceutical costs and 43% fewer hospital admissions.
However, absence of a chronic illness is not the only measure of quality of life. True quality of life represents the ability to perform any desired movement, pain-free with full range of motion. A study in the British Medical Journal found that patients who received chiropractic care for low back pain had greater long-term satisfaction and derived more benefit than patients treated by hospital therapists. A study in the JCCA found that chiropractic adjustments in neck pain patients decreased pain and improved range of motion compared to a placebo and sham treatment.
Chiropractic care has been shown to be an effective means of improving performance, treating sports and work place injuries; as well as improving quality of life. However, as in any profession not all chiropractors practise the same. Studies have found that patient satisfaction and improved quality of life with chiropractic care is dependant on the amount of time the chiropractor spends with the patient. Furthermore, patients who received individualized care, such as at my Chiropractic Clinic, experience greater results than those who receive the same care. It is important to see a chiropractor who will spend the time with you to create an individualised treatment plan.
As a dedicated healthcare professional and Chiropractor in Kitchener Ontario I’m happy to discuss with you what my Chiropractic Clinic services can do for you to help you achieve your wellness goals. Get in touch with us today!