Getting Rid of Back Pain

Doctors of chiropractic spend years in chiropractic college learning to manipulate the spine, but that's certainly not all they learn. Chiropractors are effective at relieving back pain because they know that long-term solutions come from taking a well-rounded approach to dealing with the problem.

A study involving 147 patients (101 of whom were classified as "disabled" from car accidents or work-related back injuries) provides evidence of the effectiveness of this approach to managing back pain. Patients participated in a four-phase rehabilitation program consisting of:

1) chiropractic treatments, including spinal adjustments, ultrasound therapy, and TENS (electrical stimulation of the muscles), along with cardiovascular exercises;

2) isometric strength training;

3) resistance weight training; and

4) education on back pain, including strategies for coping with pain, relaxation techniques, etc.

After nine weeks of rehabilitation, patients reported decreases in pain and disability compared with pre-rehabilitation measurements. Strength, flexibility and range of motion were also higher, and most significantly, 91 of the 101 disabled patients were able to return to work.

So if back pain's got you down, get up and take a trip to your doctor of chiropractic. You'll get a comprehensive, caring approach that's sure to help you get back on your feet.

Reference:

Guerriero RC, Rawani M, Gray E, et al. A retrospective study of the effectiveness of physical rehabilitation of low back pain patients in a multidisciplinary setting. Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, June 1999: Vol. 43, No. 2, pp89-103.

For more information on back pain, go to http://www.chiroweb.com/find/tellmeabout/backpain.html