Lower back pain is one of the most common ailments that send people to the doctor and one of the most common reasons why doctors prescribe powerful, addictive drugs.  Spinal manipulation is a treatment option for lower back pain.  Chiropractors specialize in spinal manipulation or moving the joints of the spine.  Chiropractors locate poor joint motion and use adjustments to improve movement of the spine – without any drugs.

Chiropractic Effective for Back Pain

In April 2017 the Journal of the American Medical Association published evidence for less lower back pain with spinal manipulation1. Analysis of 26 studies including over 1,700 patients with lower back pain found that spinal manipulation brought reduced pain and improved function. Patients could walk more quickly, were having less difficulty turning over in bed, or were sleeping more soundly up to six weeks after receiving adjustments.

Drugless Treatment

The head of the study noted that relief from spinal manipulation was similar to taking over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs like aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen.  Plus, patients treated with spinal manipulation enjoyed the benefits of NSAIDs without side effects.  Over-the-counter pain relief medications can cause upset stomach and increased blood pressure while stronger opioid drugs have the risk of addiction.

Seek Chiropractic for Low Back Pain

It’s great to see some research has found what chiropractic patients have been experiencing for a long time.  If you have lower back pain contact Matthews Chiropractic Center.

1. Neil M. Paige, Isomi M. Miake-Lye, Marika Suttorp Booth, Jessica M. Beroes, Aram S. Mardian, Paul Dougherty, Richard Branson, Baron Tang, Sally C. Morton, Paul G. Shekelle. Association of Spinal Manipulative Therapy With Clinical Benefit and Harm for Acute Low Back Pain. JAMA, 2017; 317 (14): 1451 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2017.3086 [↩]