Many people can benefit from chiropractic care but unfortunately continue to live in pain due to a belief in false myths and misconceptions surrounding the topic. The truth is visiting a chiropractor can result in natural and pain-free healing, leading to optimal health and a better quality of life.
To ensure myths and misconceptions don’t stand in your way of achieving better health, it’s time to debunk them and get to the truth of the matter.
1. Chiropractors Aren’t Real Doctors
Chiropractors are regulated in all Canadian provinces and must pass a Doctor of Chiropractic degree program in order to use the designation of “doctor.” This is similar to optometrists, dentists, and physicians. Chiropractors have extensive schooling, and hands-on experience, enabling them to offer high-quality care.
2. A Chiropractic Adjustment Is Painful
During an adjustment, you might hear cracks and pops, and this can make it seem like the process is painful. However, the manipulation of joints doesn’t hurt. In fact, most patients report feeling immediate relief from pain after an adjustment. The typical cracking or popping sounds that occur are believed to simply be gas bubbles releasing from the joints.
3. Chiropractic Care Is Dangerous
Many people falsely believe that adjusting the spine is dangerous and can possibly lead to paralysis. However, the spinal structure is strong and is subject to much more dangerous forces than chiropractic care, such as impacts from sports injuries and car accidents. There are certain conditions, however, that may reduce the stability of the neck, including rheumatoid arthritis.
Those with certain conditions aren’t recommended to undergo chiropractic care due to the risks, and the doctors are well-trained to spot red flags during their health examinations. Chiropractors have your best interests in mind and will never provide care if there are risks involved.
4. You Must Keep Going Back Regularly If You Start Seeing a Chiropractor
If you start lifting weights at the gym, you’ll need to keep going to maintain your results. However, the same isn’t true of chiropractic care. Many mistakenly believe that you must keep going back for adjustments regularly to maintain the results of chiropractic care once you start, but this isn’t true. Every patient is different, and every treatment plan is different as well. You may only need a few visits to the chiropractor to get back to optimal health. Ultimately, the continuation of care is entirely up to you.
5. You Need a Referral to Access Chiropractic Care
Many people don’t seek the care they need because they believe they require a referral for treatment and may not have a family doctor to give them this referral. The truth is chiropractors are considered primary contact providers, which means you don’t need a referral. All you need to do is call the office to make an appointment. The only exception to this is if your benefits provider requires a referral for coverage.
6. There Is No Evidence It Works
Sometimes, the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment is questioned. However, the industry as a whole has invested resources to build a body of evidence showing the effectiveness of this type of care. For example, studies have shown that chiropractic care is effective in the treatment of both chronic and acute musculoskeletal conditions and is, in fact, often recommended as the first line of treatment.
7. Chiropractic Care Is Only Good for Back Pain
Though it’s true that chiropractors often treat patients with back pain by adjusting the spine, they are also trained in treating a variety of disorders that originate from the nervous system, skeletal system, and muscular system, including headaches and TMD. These physicians also offer counselling services for ergonomics, fitness, nutrition, and more. They do much more than treat back pain.
