We see several people with back pain in our Philadelphia practice, and Bridesburg Spine and Injury Clinic has been able to help a lot of them find relief with chiropractic care. However, dealing with back problems doesn't necessarily mean having to make a choice between chiropractic care and medical care, as many people utilize both types of care with great success.
In a report published by the academic journal Spine investigators1 looked at a group of active-duty military personnel between the ages of 18 and 35 who were suffering from both acute discomfort and limited function due to back pain. Some of the study participants engaged in treatment via standard medical therapy, while the remainder received chiropractic adjustments along with standard medical care, as researchers wanted to see which patients fared better.
The authors found that the patients who got standard medical care in combination with chiropractic care scored "significantly better" than the patients who received medical care alone; 73% reported positive benefits in comparison to just 17% of the medical treatment only group who reported the same amount of improvement. This was true regarding both pain and level of function at the two- and four-week marks.
Accordingly, combining these two forms of care can greatly benefit you--the patient--offering benefits when compared to medical care alone. However, while chiropractic care and medicine can work together, chiropractic offers some unique strengths over medical treatment.
Although it might seem as if each approach plays a 50/50 role, there is one significant advantage that chiropractic has over medical treatment and that is in patient satisfaction. In fact, one bit of research conducted at UCLA2 that was published in the American Journal of Public Health reports that, on average, chiropractic patients are generally more satisfied with their recovery than patients undergoing medical care.
According to the experts, the main aspects that patients favored over medical care were "self-care advice and explanation of treatment." This isn't surprising, as chiropractors frequently spend much more time advising their patients as to how they can better their health on their own, as well as outlining more carefully what to expect from chiropractic.
Certainly, the techniques associated with chiropractic are quite different than those available with medical therapy, but a great deal of the distinction is the fact that chiropractic is a natural approach to health and wellness. Rather than focusing on only relieving the symptoms, chiropractic care means searching for the root cause of your pain, which often means greater improvement as you are addressing the problem at its source.
Additionally, while medication is sometimes helpful for treating certain conditions, many health issues respond well to natural forms of treatment such as chiropractic. This means fewer negative side effects from prescriptions and longer-lasting results.
You don't have to endure back pain or other health issues. Give our Philadelphia clinic a call today at (215) 743-5330. We'll do everything we can to help you get and stay free from back pain.
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Dr. Anthony Calantoni is a chiropractic physician serving Philadelphia and the surrounding communities of Bridesburg, Port Richmond, Fishtown, Kensington, Mayfair, Tacony, Frankford, and Juniata. Bridesburg Spine and Injury Clinic is a State of the Art facility located in the Bridesburg section of Philadelphia. The office is dedicated to to the application of modern day physical medicine targeting your unique needs, whether you are suffering from excruciating back pain, neck pain, headaches, or even just plain old muscular tightness and discomfort. The office specializes in all types of injuries including Sports, Motor Vehicle , and Work Related.
