How Successful is Chiropractic Care?

Like most things in life, successful results of chiropractic care occur over a consistent period. The “easy fix” or the “fast fix” is often only temporary, leaving us frustrated and looking for a new solution. When it comes to health and wellness, consistency is key – it helps us maintain discipline, form habits, and create long-lasting relief.

In this article, I will outline everything you need to know about receiving successful chiropractic care, what that looks like, and how you can benefit from it.

So, what is the success rate of chiropractic care? Out of the people who have received chiropractic treatment in the last year, about 77% described it as “very effective”. It was shown that chiropractic care outperformed deep-tissue massage, prescription medication, yoga, and meditation when it came to treating neck and lower back pain. 

In recent years, chiropractic treatment has risen in popularity and has become more widely accepted as a successful pain management option. While success can be demonstrated by numbers like 77%, it can also be subjective to each individual. Individual results show that a consistent chiropractic regiment will produce successful results with lower pain and more comfort in daily life.

What Is “Success” in Chiropractic Treatments?

When people decide to pursue chiropractic care, they are often suffering from chronic back pain, or have been victims of a car accident or other injury and they are hoping to avoid strong pain medications or surgery.

These individuals will consider chiropractic care successful if they can lower their pain and discomfort without taking medication or having to undergo surgery.

For others, successful chiropractic care may be a part of maintaining their overall health. For still others, it may be a part of preventing any future injuries or misalignments. Truthfully, many people will see an immediate difference that a spinal adjustment can make in their daily life – through pressure release and stress relief.

While some relief can be achieved after just one chiropractic visit, depending on your reasoning for going and personalized treatment plan, consistent and regular visits will produce the most successful, lasting results.

Is Chiropractic Care Successful at Reducing Back Pain?

If a chiropractic treatment plan is followed, 94% of individuals found a 30% reduction in their pain for a longer period, as opposed to only 54% of medical care recipients experiencing a lasting reduction of their back pain. From this, we can see that chiropractic care is an effective first step in improving any low back pain you may have.

Depending on the severity of your condition, you may find that chiropractic treatment is effective, but that additional treatment may help you eradicate your chronic pain. Medical treatments have a better chance of being successful when they are combined with other disciplines and followed for the designated period. 

For example, your primary physician may suggest that you visit a chiropractor for your headaches. While at the chiropractor, they may do some adjustments and give you some exercises to do at home, as well as a diet to follow.

If you still experience any headaches, there may be other treatments introduced. However, they are likely to be small additions that simply help you ensure the pain is managed fully and effectively.

Maximizing Your Chiropractic Adjustments

All healthcare professionals are dedicated to helping you achieve a full, healthy, and happy life concerning each of their specialties. While it is their job to help us figure out what’s wrong and how to fix it, we can help them maximize the solutions they present. So, how can you maximize your chiropractic adjustments?

• Be honest about your condition: even if you may be embarrassed or ashamed of your condition or how it happened, the best thing you can do is be honest about it. Our medical providers make diagnoses based on the information we give them and they’ll know when/if you are lying about yours – so be honest upfront and start your path to healing faster.
• Make an effort to incorporate their suggestions and improve your overall health: though each expert may have specific treatments in mind for you, they are also likely to give you tips on your diet and exercise, or even suggest a different medication. Truly consider their suggestions and do your best to incorporate them into your daily life – they can help your treatment make a bigger difference and have a bigger impact.
• Be consistent and form good habits: your chiropractor will help determine your treatment schedule and how often you should go in for an adjustment – follow this! One appointment may provide some relief, but consistent visits will help you get the most out of your treatment and you will find more success in your overall health.

When we work with our doctors and providers to find solutions to our problems, we see better results than if we were to just listen to their diagnosis and do nothing about it until the next time we have an appointment.

What Are the Benefits of Chiropractic Care?

Studies have shown that spinal manipulation and chiropractic treatments are safe and effective treatments for acute low back pain, neck pain, and headaches. Whether you have injured yourself moving furniture or in a car accident, re-aggravated an old sports injury, or started experiencing headaches and neck pain – chiropractic care will likely be a very beneficial treatment option for you.

Spinal adjustments by your chiropractor will help to relieve pressure off of joints and nerves in your spine and neck. This ultimately helps the rest of your body relax into its natural alignment. Tension headaches that originate in your neck because of poor posture or sitting for long periods can easily be improved without the need for medication. 

Another great benefit that can come from chiropractic care is that it is often much less expensive than other forms of pain management, i.e. surgery or expensive pain medications. Insurance can sometimes be tricky with chiropractic care, but as long as you work with your insurance provider and primary physician, you can get it covered for a low out-of-pocket cost.

Why Are Consistency and Frequency Important in Chiropractic Care?

Depending on your condition when you first visit your chiropractor, they will likely suggest that you receive 2-3 spinal adjustments per week for 3-4 weeks before you start seeing significant relief. Several studies show that 12 treatments within 6 weeks are effective for managing back pain, especially when combined with other treatments. 

It has been found that even after individuals finish their treatment program, they will decide to keep going back at a tapered frequency because of the significant relief they have found. By continuing chiropractic care, you will not only improve your current condition but will also prevent any further problems or worsening of your condition. 

Related Questions

How Do You Find a Chiropractor?

Many healthcare professionals will recommend colleagues in other fields that they know and trust to patients seeking other treatments. If you are ready to see a chiropractor, start by asking your primary physician for any recommendations. You can also contact your insurance provider to see who is in-network so you don’t have to pay out-of-pocket. Friends and family are also great people to ask for recommendations.

Keep in mind that just because someone has been recommended to you, doesn’t mean you will connect with them and doesn’t mean you have to pursue treatment with them. Schedule a consultation first to decide if you are a good fit for each other. If it doesn’t feel right, do some more research until you find someone you are comfortable with.

What Makes Chiropractic Care Effective?

Our bodies go through a lot of wear and tear through the years, no matter if we have experienced significant trauma or injuries or not. There is a natural alignment for our bodies that ensures there is no undue pressure on nerves, muscles, or joints and allows us to move and function properly. When we are out of alignment, full rotation or flexibility may not be possible and we may experience more discomfort in our day-to-day lives.

Chiropractic care and spinal adjustments are effective at realigning the body, taking pressure and stress off of the spine, nerves, and relaxing the body back into its rightful position. When these treatments are consistent, we begin to notice a better use of our bodies, when something is off, and how much more comfortable we are when the body is aligned correctly.

If you’ve never been to a chiropractor, it can be kind of scary. A spinal adjustment produces loud pops in the body and sudden movements to get the body straightened out – but this is supposed to happen and causes no pain. Be open and talk with your chiropractor about your fears and nerves, they will be happy to talk you through the process and put you at ease.