Chiropractic More Effective than Drugs for Back Pain

Don't Choose Drugs for Back Pain

Here in our Arlington practice, Dr. Ernst has helped many patients recover from back problems. If you are dealing with back pain, you've most likely been tempted to take drugs to reduce the discomfort. You should know that studies have shown that chiropractic care is oftentimes a better choice than drugs when it comes to alleviating this specific type of problem.

In a 2013 report published in the medical journal Spine researchers included 101 subjects who had suffered back pain for more than 48 hours. Each individual was then assigned to one of three groups. The first group, which was made up of 37 people, received chiropractic care and a placebo of the NSAID diclofenac. The second group of 38 patients received sham chiropractic treatments and the actual drug. The third group of 25 individuals acted as the control as those individuals engaged in sham chiropractic and also received the placebo, thus having no real treatment at all.

All of the participants who received some type of actual treatment, whether through chiropractic or the drug diclofenac, fared better than the control group who had no actual therapy. However, when the two active groups were compared to one another, the subjects who received chiropractic adjustments had improvements that were "significantly better" than those who took the medications.

Chiropractic: Natural Healing

Because chiropractic is non-invasive and involves no use of medication, it helps promote healing without undesirable side effects. For example, anti-inflammatory drugs can result in ulcers, high blood pressure, and other serious health complications. Plus, the health benefits of chiropractic last longer as it's purpose designed to resolve the source of the spinal interference, not just treat the signs and symptoms.

If you're ready to get help for your back pain naturally, then chiropractic is for you. Call and make an appointment in our Arlington office with Dr. Ernst today at (360) 659-8464. We'll help ease your back problems in a healthy way!

References

von Heymann WJ, Schloemer P, Timm J, Muehlbauer B. Spinal high-velocity low amplitude manipulation in acute nonspecific low back pain: a double-blind randomized controlled trial in comparison with diclofenac and placebo. Spine 2013;38(7):540-548.