Risks Associated With Chiropractic Care
If you’re considering chiropractic care, you might first be concerned about any possible risks associated with it. This is a natural concern as you might already know that there are always risks that come with traditional and modern forms of medical treatment.
According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), there are less than one million people per year who have a serious adverse effect while undergoing spinal manipulation. Patients who take non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs are at more risk for suffering from a serious effect. Minor affects such as stiffness or mild pain are common, but usually resolve itself within 1-3 days.
Red Flags in Chiropractic Treatment
There are certain medical conditions, known as “red flags” that could contradict applying any manipulation to the spine. In general, a chiropractor will not perform spinal manipulation to people who have:
- Multiple myeloma
- Severe osteoporosis
- Osteomyelitis
- Bone tumors
- Severe bone cancer
- Paget’s disease
- Certain spinal surgeries
Certain neurological conditions might also be considered a red flag, as well as anything that results in unstable joints. Depending on your symptoms of a condition, a chiropractor might advise against treating people who have:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Reiter’s syndrome
- Infection in the joints
- Some bleeding disorders
To avoid any complications, a chiropractor should assess your medical conditions before ruling out spinal manipulation. If this type of treatment is not recommended, a chiropractor might suggest low velocity procedures or a very customized treatment approach to protect the patient. For example a bone tumor is considered to be a red flag medical condition because it could weaken the bone. Even so, a good chiropractor might utilize their skill to create a treatment plan that minimizes the patient’s risk.
Effective Treatments for Red Flag Medical Conditions
Many chiropractors incorporate other therapies into their treatment plans. These could include massage, acupuncture, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and so forth. When a patient might not benefit from intensive spinal manipulation, due to certain risks or other factors, a chiropractor might perform specialized manipulation in addition to recommending the aforementioned.
Maintaining Communication with the Patients’ Doctor
It is common for chiropractors to communicate with the patients’ doctor so that he or she gets the right treatment. This is especially true when the patient has cancer or postsurgical related pain.
The Goal of Chiropractic Care
The goal of giving chiropractic treatment to a patient is to help him or her alleviate pain, reduce the symptoms of a condition, and improve the bodies’ ability to function.
Whether you have upper, middle, or lower back pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, or other muscular/joint pain, a chiropractor may be able to help. In general this type of medicine is safe and effective, and can enable a person to improve their quality of life.
Choose the Right Chiropractor
By choosing the right chiropractor, you can feel confident in knowing your medical history and any coexisting conditions will be examined so your treatment can be customized accordingly.
