Chiropractic is a health care profession that focuses on the relationship between the body’s structure—mainly the spine—and its functioning. Although practitioners may use a variety of treatment approaches, they primarily perform adjustments (manipulations) to the spine or other parts of the body with the goal of correcting alignment problems, alleviating pain, improving function, and supporting the body’s natural ability to heal itself.

Scientists have discovered that a majority of back-pain patients they tested who were taking opioid painkillers produced anti-opioid antibodies. These antibodies may contribute to some of the negative side effects of long-term opioid use.

A new study published in BMJ Open, an online publication of the British Medical Journal, examined the association of initial provider treatment with early and long-term opioid use in a national sample of patients with new-onset low back pain (LBP). The study evaluated outpatient and inpatient claims from patient visits, pharmacy claims and inpatient and outpatient procedures with initial providers seen for new-onset LBP.

When you push someone in a wheelchair, you may be hurting your back without knowing it. Researchers measured the forces on the spine caused by pushing a wheelchair, and discovered that people aren’t good at judging when they’re exerting forces strong enough to hurt their back. The study appears in the journal Ergonomics.

One of the best things you can do to prevent and/or eliminate back pain is to exercise. Both an inactive lifestyle and being overweight contribute to back pain. Exercise benefits you in so many ways, such as lowering blood pressure, helping you maintain a healthy weight, lowering your risk for diabetes, and the list goes on!

Orthotics can help you maintain a healthy spine by stabilizing the lower extremities and pelvis. Devices that you wear in your shoes, orthotics align all three arches of your foot to provide a balanced foundation for your spine and body.

A new Gallup-Palmer survey that tested public assumptions about chiropractic care discovered that a lack of knowledge about health insurance coverage for chiropractic care and sensitivity toward costs may be preventing some adults in the United States from using chiropractic services. Nearly half of U.S. adults reported not knowing whether their insurance plans covered chiropractic care. In addition to uncertainty about insurance coverage, the survey found that perceptions about the cost of chiropractic care could also be a factor preventing some individuals from seeking it.

According to a new Gallup-Palmer report that tested public assumptions about chiropractic care, 57 percent of U.S. adults are likely to visit a doctor of chiropractic (DC) if they experience back or neck pain. This first-ever nationally representative survey, commissioned by Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, found that 33.6million Americans sought chiropractic care in 2014, compared to a previously reported estimate of 20.6 million in 2012.

Americans are spending billions out-of-pocket for chiropractic services and other complementary health approaches according to authors of a new report by NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative health (NCCIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The use of chiropractic services in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system has seen a steep rise over more than a decade, according to recently published research.

Create a DIY sit/stand station. The popularity of standing desks has increased significantly over the past several years. You can create your own standing desk at home by simply working at a raised kitchen counter, for example, but be sure that the height of the counter does not cause you to bend your elbows too much. You should be able to comfortably reach your keyboard with elbows bent at about a 90-degree angle.