I have heard that once I start chiropractic care, I'll have to continue with it for the rest of my life. Is this true?

Isn't it true that some chiropractic treatments have a significant risk associated with them?

Do chiropractors treat conditions other than back pain?

August/September 2000 Feature Articles:
• Chiropractic Care for Migraine Headaches
• Back Pain Prevalent In The Elderly
• Chiropractic Care: The Safest of the Safe
• Politicians Need Chiropractic Care Too
• Chiropractic For Work Related Injuries
• Keeping Young Athletes Healthy and Fit

• Chiropractic Care For Migraine Headaches • A recently published study found chiropractic care was highly successful for those suffering from migraine headaches. Of the 127 subjects involved in the controlled study, 22 percent of those receiving chiropractic spinal manipulation reported a greater than 90 percent reduction in migraines after just 2 months of care. Approximately 50 percent more reported significant improvement in severity of migraine episodes. This is not the first study supporting the benefits of chiropractic care in the treatment of headaches. An impressive number of previous scientific studies have found chiropractic care safe and effective in the management of many of the most common headache types. SOURCE: Tuchin PJ, Pollard H, Bonello R. A randomized controlled trial of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Feb. 2000:23(2), pp91-5. TOP

• Back Pain Prevalent In The Elderly • An extremely high number of the elderly suffer from chronic back pain. According to a report in the Journal of Rheumatology, close to 50 percent suffer back pain in any given year and almost 25 percent report experiencing back pain "on most days." Fortunately, chiropractic care is a natural and non-invasive treatment for people of all ages, even those in their 100's. If the condition is a more serious problem that chiropractic is unable to treat, chiropractors are thoroughly trained to make an immediate referral to the appropriate specialist. SOURCES: Edmond SL, Felson DT. Prevalence of back symptoms in elders. Journal of Rheumatology 2000:27(1), pp220-25. TOP

• Chiropractic Care: The Safest of the Safe • Despite statistics from dozens of studies demonstrating the safety of chiropractic treatments, recent news reports have alleged that chiropractic neck adjustments can sometimes be harmful. However, according to a study by the Rand Corporation, a serious adverse reaction from cervical manipulation occurs less than once in 1 million treatments. The study also showed that on the rare occasion of an adverse reaction, it is often the result of the procedure being performed by a health professional who is inexperienced or inadequately trained in spinal manipulation, rather than by a licensed doctor of chiropractic. Other scientific textbooks and reports have estimated the risk to be even more minute; as low as one in 10 million treatments. To put this number into perspective, the New England Journal of Medicine found complications from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), medications such as aspirin and ibuprofen, are responsible for 16,500 deaths each year. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, more than 2 million Americans become seriously ill every year from negative reactions to drugs that were correctly prescribed and taken; 106,000 Americans die annually from those side effects. SOURCE: ACA Today. June 2000. TOP

• Politicians Need Chiropractic Care Too • Starting on May 11, 2000, chiropractic services were made available within the health care office on Capitol Hill. According to Senator Strom Thurmond, "I am very pleased by the recent decision to provide chiropractic services for senators and members of Congress at the Attending Physicians Office in the Capitol, and I would like to commend those who are responsible for making these services readily available. I have been a chiropractic patient for many years and I am confident that others will also benefit from this treatment." Hey, if it's good enough for the politicians... SOURCE: American Chiropractic Association. May 2000. TOP

• Chiropractic For Work Related Injuries • According to a report in the July issue of the Journal of the American Chiropractic Association, workers are able to get back to work quicker and less expensively when given chiropractic care over traditional medical care. A number of studies have already compared medical and chiropractic care for work-related back injuries. Some of their results include: • chiropractic offers consistent 2-to-1 superiority • treatment costs in cases managed by doctors of chiropractic increased only 12 percent between 1986 and 1989, while treatment costs in cases managed by medical doctors increased 71 percent during the same period. Other common work injuries chiropractors treat are postural-type strains to the neck and upper back and repetitive strain injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis. If you've suffered a work-related musculoskeletal injury, join the millions who have got relief from natural chiropractic care. SOURCE: JACA, Jul. 2000:37(7). TOP

• Keeping Young Athletes Healthy and Fit • According to the American Chiropractic Association's Council on Sports Injuries and Physical Fitness, "The majority, if not all, sports are good, provided that the child prepares appropriately. Without proper preparation, playing any sport can turn into a bad experience. There are structural and physical developmental issues that need to be taken into consideration before children undertake certain sports." The council recommends parents encourage their children to: • Wear the proper equipment. Make sure all equipment, including helmets, pads, and shoes, fit your child or adolescent. • Eat healthy meals. Make sure your young athlete is eating a well-balanced diet and does not skip meals. • Maintain a healthy weight. • Drink water. Teenage athletes should drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. • Avoid sugar-loaded, caffeinated and carbonated drinks. • Follow a warm-up routine. • Take vitamins daily. A multi-vitamin and Vitamin C are good choices for the young athlete. • Get plenty of rest. Eight hours of sleep is ideal for the young athlete. • Chiropractic care can help… Chiropractors are trained and licensed to treat the entire neuromusculoskeletal system and can provide advice on sports training, nutrition and injury prevention to young athletes. SOURCE: American Chiropractic Association. TOP