We see a number of patients with back pain in our Gresham office, and Dr. Ramsey has been able to help a lot of them find relief with chiropractic. However, recovering from back problems doesn't necessarily mean having to make a choice between chiropractic care and medical therapy, as many people use both types of care with great results.
In a report published by the journal Spine investigators1 looked at a group of active-duty military personnel between the ages of 18 and 35 who reported both acute soreness and restricted function due to back symptoms. Some of the study participants engaged in treatment via standard medical care, while the remainder were given chiropractic care together with standard medical care, as the authors wanted to determine which patients fared better.
Researchers determined that the group that got standard medical care along with chiropractic care scored "significantly better" than the patients who received medical care alone; 73 percent reported positive benefits in comparison to just 17% of the medical care only group who reported the same amount of improvement. This was true regarding both pain and level of function at two and four weeks.
Therefore, incorporating these two forms of care can greatly benefit you--the patient--offering advantages when compared to medical care alone. However, while chiropractic care and medicine can work alongside each other, chiropractic offers some unique strengths over medical treatment.
Although it may seem as if each method plays a 50/50 role, there is one major advantage that chiropractic has over medical treatment and that is in patient satisfaction. In fact, a study done 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 those undergoing medical treatment.
According to the researchers, the main aspects that patients liked over medical treatment were "self-care advice and explanation of treatment." This isn't surprising, as chiropractors tend to spend much more time consulting with their patients as to how they can better their health on their own, as well as outlining more thoroughly what to expect from chiropractic.
Without a doubt, the strategies associated with chiropractic are very different than those offered with medical treatment, but a large amount of the difference is the fact that chiropractic is a natural approach to health and well-being. Rather than focusing on just relieving the symptoms, chiropractic care means searching for the root cause of your pain, which often translates to greater improvement as you are addressing the problem at its source.
Additionally, while medication is sometimes helpful for managing certain conditions, many health issues respond well to natural forms of treatment such as chiropractic. This means fewer negative side effects from drugs and longer-lasting results.
You don't have to deal with back pain or other health issues. Give our Gresham clinic a call today at (503) 667-6744. We'll do our best to help you get and continue to be free from back pain.
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Dr. Robert Ramsey and the talented team at Gresham Family Chiropractic have been providing the best chiropractic care available to patients in Gresham, OR since 1997. We treat many conditions related to back pain, neck pain, headaches, and sciatica. Dr. Ramsey also specializes in the treatment of auto accident injuries and work injuries sustained on the job.
