Chiropractic Part 2: Common Myths, Misconceptions, and Patient Concerns About Chiropractic
So hopefully, the last post and future posts I will write about Chiropractic will give you a better understanding and changed your mind about Chiropractic and you are open to giving it a try. Or perhaps you’ve always wanted to try it, but were hesitant to for any variety of reasons. I totally understand because like you, I was a patient first. There were many things I heard in passing that prevented me from ever even considering it for 13 years. When I finally did try it, it was the one thing that changed my life for the better. It’s a very bittersweet feeling knowing that something was able to help me, but that I never gave it a try because of what others said. I will cover some common myths, misconceptions, and patient concerns regarding Chiropractic which will hopefully allow you to make a more informed decision!
Chiropractic Isn’t Safe
Chiropractic is in fact very safe and there is strong data to support this. Just looking at it from a common sense perspective however, Chiropractic as a profession would not exist if was not safe. Think of all the other industries and professions that the government and regulators would shut down or place heavy restrictions on, if there was any indication they were unsafe and hurting people. In fact, the very fact that Chiropractic is allowed to flourish in the absence of heavy lobbying and marketing dollars attests to how safe it really is.
I’ve Gone to a Chiropractor and it Didn’t Help, and/or It Made Things Worse
The main thing to keep in mind is that Chiropractic is a journey, not a quick fix. While some will certainly experience dramatic and permanent relief, others will have more of an up and down. It is important to remember that you are dealing with something that has potentially been with you a very long time, and as a result, going to a chiropractor might initially stir up some things. If you experience more pain or discomfort, speak to your Chiropractor about. This will give them a better idea of your body, and allow them to make tweaks and correct any of the additional discomfort you are feeling. Running away after one or two adjustments without confronting the issue is the last thing you should do.
However, it is also important to remember that like everything else in life, there are good chiropractors and bad chiropractors. In fact, the majority would probably just be average. If you’ve spoken to your chiropractor and nothing changes, or if you just feel deep down that it is doing more harm than good, consult a different chiropractor. Don’t just give up on Chiropractic as a whole. That would be akin to having a bad experience at one Chinese restaurant and assuming all Chinese food is bad. There are countless varieties of Chinese cuisine, each with chefs of differing skill levels. Chiropractic is no different. There are many different types of Chiropractors, and each of them have their own level of skill.
My biggest advice would be to go to a chiropractor that someone you know recommends. Do not go to some random chiropractor’s office you saw on the street. A bad chiropractor can certainly do more harm than good. In addition, the internet offers a wealth of information and you can easily find a well rated chiropractor in your area.
Chiropractic Is Expensive
It is true that the cost for Chiropractic can add up, especially since insurance coverage is not the best. Like everything else in life, only you can decide what the value of something is to you. For me, I went to a Chiropractor and still do even though it is a huge financial burden. The value it provides me is greater than the value of a few material items or nights out I might otherwise have spent the money on. If Chiropractic can help you feel better and allow you to be more productive, it will pay off in a short amount of time.
In addition to the financial cost however, is the opportunity cost of not going to a Chiropractor. What else would you be losing out on by not experiencing the benefits that Chiropractic can provide? More time to spend because you aren’t always miserable? Being able to continue dancing because your leg doesn’t hurt? Being able to be a more attentive parent because you aren’t always experiencing a headache? Being able to pick up your grandkids because your back doesn’t hurt? There are some things in life that money simply can’t buy.
Once I Start Going to a Chiropractor, I Will Have to Keep Going
This is certainly true for most people. But you also have to keep running, biking, lifting weights, practicing yoga, practicing Tai Chi, and eating healthy in order to maintain the benefits that these activities provide. Chiropractic is no different. It is a component of wellness and as a result, is part of a healthy lifestyle. Even medication is something you have to keep taking, in order to maintain the results desired by taking those medications. The biggest difference is that chiropractic empowers your body to heal itself.
In addition, a good chiropractor will give you tools to empower your body’s capabilities so that you rely less and less on the chiropractor. A good chiropractor will help you stand on your own two feet. Any visits to the chiropractor would be for maintenance.
Furthermore, you aren’t obligated to do anything. You will be able to judge when the time comes whether or not continuing chiropractic care is in your best interest.
People Tell Me Pain and Headaches Are Normal
Pain is NOT normal. If it was, we would all be born with it and naturally seek it out. The only thing normal about pain is that it tells us something is wrong. Just as how the pain you feel when your hand is touching a hot stove is telling to move your hand. In the absence of physical trauma or foreign bodies in our system, people are not meant to live with pain, and anyone who tells you otherwise simply don’t know how to help you.
In addition, taking medication to alleviate the symptoms rather than tackling the cause only covers up the issue. That would be equivalent to taking a painkiller rather than taking your hand off the stove. Your hand will eventually burn. Do not listen to what others have to say. Pain is not normal and you do not have to live with it.
But I Don’t Have Any Pain
Maybe you are one of the lucky ones that don’t experience pain, but pain isn’t a prerequisite indicator that something is wrong. If it was, you would feel pain years before a heart attack, stroke, cancer, or any other serious condition. This is rarely the case however, and by the time you actually feel pain or produce symptoms, it is usually too late. It is important to keep in mind that nerves can lose a great deal of function before any pain is produced, so you may very well be experiencing a loss of function well before you experience pain.
In addition, pain is a very subjective and relative concept. You only know you are in pain if you have something to compare it to. If you were born with pain or began experiencing it from a very young age, you could very well be living with pain without even knowing it. It would just be normal to you. The only way to know you were in fact in pain, is if the pain were to disappear. People are also very resilient, in the fact that we adapt to whatever situation we are dealt. You may have experienced mild pain or discomfort, acclimated to it, and increased your tolerance or threshold for pain. As the pain or discomfort grows, your body continues to adapt to the point where you may not even remember what it was like to not be in pain. Being in pain now feels normal to you. So the next time you might think you are fine, ask yourself how you really know this is the case.
I’m Afraid of the Cracking
I can TOTALLY relate to this. I was petrified of the cracking, especially when it came to my neck. I was afraid that with one crack of the neck, my symptoms would get a lot worse or that I would seriously get hurt. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the sound is not an actual crack, but a cavitation, or release of air as the joint is manipulated. In addition, the amount of force used during a manipulation would not be enough to damage the joint.
Nonetheless, this was very little comfort for me and I avoided it at all costs. I started off by going to see a chiropractor who adjusts without the cracking for a while. As time went on however, I kept wondering what potential benefits I was missing out on. I started watch hours of Youtube neck adjustment videos, and slowly became desensitized to the whole idea. Seeing countless people getting their neck adjusted and getting up fine helped a lot. In fact, a lot of them would utter how good it felt. Watching the videos also helped as I knew exactly what to expect, rather than dreaming up random scenarios. If the idea of getting adjusted bother you a lot, watching the videos may help a lot.
Chiropractic is Quackery and a Bunch of Malarkey
This is perhaps the one comment that annoys me the most simply because it is steeped in such ignorance. It is usually propagated by people who have no idea what they are talking about, and this very often times includes doctors and other healthcare professionals who are supposed to be providing accurate information and whom patients rely on to do so.
The first step to dispel this is to define quackery and to truly understand what Chiropractic is. Quackery can be described as a fraudulent medical practice aimed at drawing patients in without offering any real substance or basis. It is important to understand that Chiropractic makes no attempt to “cure” any diseases. It is not legally allowed to claim so, and goes against its core philosophy. Chiropractic simply restores mobility and function back to the body. Whatever happens from that point is up to the body. Interestingly enough however, Chiropractic often times DOES help with many conditions across the board. Nonetheless, it is never the intention of the Chiropractor to fix specific diseases or symptoms. The principle is always to bring the body into alignment and allow it to function optimally.
True Chiropractic does not claim to be the fixer of all problems. Chiropractic fully understands that true wellness is an integrative approach and that Chiropractic is only a part of this. I find it quite ignorant to call something Quackery when it doesn’t make any claims to cure anything to begin with.
In addition, it would be a bit hypocritical to label one thing Quackery, yet when conventional medicine fails patients, it is completely overlooked and accepted. The majority of headache patients I’ve encountered go from specialist to specialist yet find no relief for their symptoms. They are often times put on so many medications that they are too doped up to even know they have a headache. Or they are given Botox injections that paralyze the muscles causing the headaches, but which often times cause other muscles to overwork and produce other symptoms. By the same logic, wouldn’t it be fair to label Neurologists that can’t help headache patients quacks? Or Gastroenterologists who can’t help patients with acid reflux quacks? Or the various other doctors whom patients go to only to be prescribed meds to artificially bring markers within accepted levels?
To call one thing Quackery yet accept another is a bit of a double standard and one that needs to be changed. This is people’s health and well-being, and ignorant ideas like this can lead people down a path of unnecessary suffering. I know because I listened, and suffered for 13 years. Chiropractic was the only thing that helped me.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding Chiropractic that haven’t been addressed by any of the above points, please feel free to reach out and I will offer whatever insight I can. I will investigate it thoroughly, impartially, and objectively, in order to find out what the true answer is. I am a patient first, and as a result, will always want to know what’s best for myself and for others. Otherwise, I would strongly encourage you to consider chiropractic. It just might change your life.
I wish you the best.
