Q: Do insurance plans cover chiropractic?

Q: Does chiropractic treatment require a referral from an MD?

Q: Is chiropractic treatment appropriate for children?

Q: Are chiropractors allowed to practice in hospitals or use medical outpatient facilities?

An extensive review of 25 randomized clinical trials found “little evidence” that invasive surgery was more effective than sham or placebo procedures in reducing chronic pain. The study was published in the journal "Pain Medicine".

An estimated 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, with costs estimated at more than $500 billion annually. With the development of new minimally invasive procedures, Americans spent an estimated $45 billion on surgery for chronic low back pain. Non-opioid treatments, like surgery, are being increasingly used.

A recent study in the Journal of Public Health indicates that adolescents who experience frequent back pain are also more likely to use tobacco and alcohol, and report problems like anxiety and depression.

A new study in the Journal of Public Health indicates that adolescents who experience back pain more frequently are also more likely to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and report problems like anxiety and depression.

During adolescence, the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain (pain arising from the bones, joints or muscles) in general, and back pain in particular rises steeply. Although often dismissed as trivial and fleeting, adolescent back pain is responsible for substantial health care use, school absence, and interference with day-to-day activities in some children.

One thing professional athletes do not have to worry about is healthcare. Teams want their players healthy so that they can get their money’s worth. Longevity on the playing field is paramount, because for every year a player remains competitive, millions of dollars may be earned.

Chiropractic’s integration into professional sports medical teams has resulted in the creation of the Professional Baseball Chiropractic Society (PBCS). The first annual PBCS workshop was held in March 2015. Many of the team chiropractors in Major League Baseball were in attendance as well as a few from Minor League Baseball. This first seminar even included a surprise visit from former MLB manager Joe Torre, who took some time to address those in attendance on how beneficial chiropractic was not only to him, but also to the players on the teams he managed.

Anticonvulsant drugs are increasingly being used to treat low back pain, but a new study in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) finds they are ineffective and can have adverse effects.

Clinically, the prescription of anticonvulsants for back and neck pain, including radicular
pain in primary care, has increased by 535% in the last 10 years.

Brandon Drury plays baseball for the Toronto Blue Jays, having been traded in July 2018 from the New York Yankees. Prior to his stint with the Yankees, he had been afflicted for years with migraines and blurred vision. He finally told the Yankees and their medical team identified the issue—a nerve between the back of Drury’s head and neck—and established a plan to manage it.

The human neck is composed of 7 bones. These bones are coupled together by delicate joints. Injury to the neck can result in one or more of the neck joints locking out of position. This causes pressure on the delicate nerves that are situated close by these joints. The result is pain!

Pain spreading to your shoulders and arms is one of the most common types of neck pain and is usually caused by pressure on the joints and nerves at the bottom of the neck. Here are some tips to avoid neck and shoulder pain while using a tablet computer:

The answer is likely yes—especially if you’re a young adult or a woman. “iPad neck” persistent pain in the neck and upper shoulders caused by slouching or bending into extreme positions while using tablet computers—is a growing problem among Americans, according to a new UNLV study.

The American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society have issued a Joint Clinical Practice guideline. The key recommendation: “For patients who do not improve with self-care options, clinicians should consider the addition of nonpharmacologic therapy with proven benefits for acute low back pain, such as spinal manipulation; for chronic or subacute low back pain, intensive interdisciplinary rehabilitation, exercise therapy, acupuncture, massage therapy, spinal manipulation, yoga, cognitive behavioral therapy, or progressive relaxation.”

The goal of chiropractic care for degenerative disc disease (DDD) is to improve joint mechanics by improving spinal motion and reducing inflammation. The chiropractor may also work on improving the function of the intervertebral discs—but that’s only if you do not have advanced disc degeneration.

At your initial exam, you’ll go through your past medical history with the chiropractor, and he or she will determine areas of restricted joint motion, disc injury, muscle spasm, and ligament injury by performing a few simple tests.

Your chiropractor will also look at how you walk, as well as your overall posture. Those details will help him or her understand your body mechanics and how your spine moves.

Researchers have reported that one-third of people 40-59 years of age have image-based evidence of moderate to severe degenerative disc disease and more than half had moderate to severe spinal osteoarthritis. Beyond that, the prevalence of disc height narrowing and joint osteoarthritis increased 2- to 4-fold in those aged 60-69 and 70-89, respectively. Furthermore, scientists observed that progression of these conditions occurred 40 - 70% more frequently in women than in men.

Back pain, especially chronic back pain, can make life miserable; this condition is quite common in the military. Randomized trials have found that spinal manipulation can be effective for lower back pain. One 2013 study specifically compared chiropractic therapy to general medical care in military personnel, 18-35 years old. The results suggest reduced pain and improved physical wellbeing and function as compared to patients who only received the standard care.

Chiropractic adjustment, or manipulation, is a manual procedure that utilizes the highly refined skills developed during the doctor of chiropractic’s intensive years of chiropractic education. The chiropractic physician typically uses his or her hands—or sometimes an instrument—to manipulate the joints of the body, particularly the spine, in order to restore or enhance joint function. This often helps resolve joint inflammation and reduces the patient’s pain.

In general, chiropractors focus on the manipulation of the skeletal muscle systems to put the body back into natural alignment and relieve pain and tension. It isn’t so much an alternative treatment as it is considered complementary to many forms of traditional medicine. Chiropractors are highly trained doctors who have attended both undergraduate and chiropractic graduate school and have specialized in the way the body fits together. They have also been trained to use their hands to apply pressure to the body to help realign anything that has worked itself out of place.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, has approved a plan to expand military veterans’ access to chiropractic’s non-drug approach to pain relief. Many veterans suffer from back pain and other musculoskeletal conditions resulting from their service. Supported by several veterans groups, the approved language calls for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to expand the availability of chiropractic services at no fewer than two medical centers or clinics in each Veterans Integrated Service Network (VLSN) by no later than Dec.

The very nature of their jobs puts soldiers at an increased risk for developing chronic pain. The regular demands and stress are often multiplied when the tough-it-out mentality causes them to avoid seeking medical attention until serious, chronic pain results—and it often does. Cumulative stress, single-event trauma, and surgery are all contributing factors. Although these will likely remain a constant of military service, chiropractic care may be a very helpful solution.

There aren’t many large studies on the value of chiropractic treatment in managing migraines. One study examined chiropractic treatment for different types of headaches, including migraines. The study combined the results of 22 previous studies, which had more than 2,600 patients total. The studies show that chiropractic treatment may serve as a good preventive treatment for migraines.