Great Chiropractic Myths
Once I get treated by a chiropractor, I will always have to go back.
Chiropractic is a process, not an event. Treatment for each person is determined based on their individual needs. Some patients feel better after one treatment, but many require a longer treatment plan to resolve the issue, which is not unlike needing to take a course of antibiotics when you have an infection or having to go to the gym for a few sessions to get results.
Continue as long as you want. Like a regular dental check-up, periodic chiropractic check-ups help to keep everything in tip-top shape. Many people lead active, stressful lives, and find that a regular chiropractic adjustment is helpful in maintaining good health.
You shouldn’t let a chiropractor touch your neck.
There is peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary scientific evidence to support the safety and efficacy of chiropractic neck adjustments. Cervical spine manipulation (neck adjustment) is studied extensively to determine its safety and clinical effectiveness. Studies point to the fact that risk of serious adverse effects associated with neck adjustments are very low, making this form of treatment extremely safe.
Adjustments are painful.
In general, adjustments do not hurt. Many patients report an immediate feeling of pain relief.
On some occasions, patients may experience muscle soreness after their first few adjustments, but this is similar to the soreness you feel after a workout. This sensation is typically mild and short-lived.
Seeing a chiropractor is only a temporary solution, not a permanent fix.
Many people believe that back pain is simply a matter of "something popping out, and it needs to be popped back in." Your back never pops out, there are far too many structures around the spine stopping this from happening. The back is far more complex than that. There are many complex processes that are going on in the back all at the same time, which is why a chiropractor’s education is so extensive. Here’s the reality: current research shows that chiropractic treatment is very effective for not only the short term, but also the long term.
