Chiropractor in Rockford: Pain Relief and Medications

Every year, large numbers of people in the U.S. see a chiropractor in Rockford for relief of headaches; back, shoulder, foot and neck pain; and for help with numbness and tingling or a loss of strength in the arms and hands.

About 35 million adults nationwide saw a chiropractor in the previous 12 months, according to a survey done by the Gallup Panel that was released in August. The survey, conducted on behalf of the Palmer College of Chiropractic, based in Davenport, Iowa, found that more than 62 million people have seen a chiropractor since 2011, and 77 percent of those treated found their chiropractic care "very effective." And indeed, chiropractors tout their treatment as the least invasive and safest therapy for many ailments. But chiropractic treatment is not without risk, as a recent high-profile death shows.

Here's a closer look at some of the advantages of chiropractic treatment, what some doctors say are potential downsides and suggestions for how to obtain the best care.

What do chiropractors do?

A chiropractor in Rockford treats people by aligning their spine with a variety of manipulations. During the first visit, chiropractors typically perform a physical exam and take a health history, paying special attention to the spine and whether the patient has normal bone density. People with lower levels of bone density, such as people with osteoporosis, would receive gentler treatments. The chiropractor typically uses his or her hands to apply controlled, rapid force to a damaged or injured joint, to allow the joint to move in a normal manner and reduce pain and inflammation. One maneuver is the high-velocity cervical adjustment, in which the patient relaxes his or her head in the hands of the chiropractor, who quickly thrusts the head in one direction – sometimes creating a cracking sound. Chiropractors can also conduct gentler, low-velocity cervical adjustments.

Chiropractors also treat some patients for headaches that are caused by nerve irritation that refers pain to the head. Treatment can alleviate these headaches by reducing nerve irritation.

Benefits of going to a chiropractorin Rockford

Some studies have shown chiropractic care to be beneficial. In a study published in Spine Journal in 2008, researchers evaluated the chiropractic treatment experiences of 192 people with back-related pain or sciatica, a condition in which a pinched nerve in the lower spine causes leg pain. The study care was rated worthwhile by 87 percent of the participants. Another study published in the British Medical Journal in 2003 evaluated 183 patients with neck pain who were randomly assigned to receive treatment that involved spinal manipulations, physiotherapy (mainly exercise) and care from a general practitioner, which involved primarily counseling, education and prescription drugs. The people in the study kept cost diaries for one year. The study found that manual therapy was more effective and less costly than physiotherapy or care by a general practitioner.