Seeing a chiropractor and being adjusted within the first ten days of when a back pain incident starts greatly reduces the cost of your care, likelihood of having surgery, reduces the amount of pain medications needed and decreases the amount of imaging. Referenced in the first study.
The second study below shows that you are 40% less likely to have surgery if you see a chiropractor before a surgeon for you back pain. Patients are often confused about the extent of help a chiropractor can provide. If you have a disc problem, such as a herniation or tear, chiropractic care can still help. Even if you have had back or neck surgery you can still see a chiropractor. In fact it is even more important to see a chiropractor after a surgery. Once you have changed the stability of your spine you need to maintain yourself to help prevent future injuries and the possibility of another surgery. In my experience most back surgeries have a “life span” of about 20 years. So if you had a surgery at age 40 you would most likely need another one around age 60 (a bit of anecdotal evidence as this has been my experience in practice over the past 13 years).
So what did we learn today? Chiropractic first to help reduce the likelihood of having surgery, excessive pain medications, spinal injections and to help strengthen your spine after a surgery. Chiropractors are the spinal care experts. Would you take your car to your dentist? Why take your spine to someone that isn’t perfectly trained in treating your condition?