"So what's the deal with chiropractic?", I was asked last week. As in, "what's really going on with that popping sound and is it really beneficial or is it kind of a fraud treatment?" This type of question is becoming more and more common in conversations I have with friends of friends or random restaurant/bar encounters. It's clear that general curiosity and skepticism are linked to my profession, but the only people asking me questions meet me in a setting that makes them feel they have "special access" to my honesty. So here they are! The 5 most common questions/concerns/reasons people avoid trying chiropractic care and my honest responses and solutions.
1-Fear of Neck Popping
Steven Seagal has no doubt made my profession a little more challenging. Hollywood has put more than a little fear into the hearts of people on my table when I take their head and neck into my hands. I think that over 80% of my using the word "relax" is connected to neck adjustments. This fear has created several types of chiropractic options. If this is a fear of yours, look for chiropractors that use tools to adjust, deep tissue techniques, or "non-rotatory" adjustments (adjustments with out the rotation or turning of your head). As for the traditional "popping" sound from an adjustment, I want you to know it's not a bone crunching, breaking or snapping. It's as simple as a pop you get from your knees when you squat down or a pop from the pull of a finger. The sound comes from the joints being stretched open and creating a small air bubble. This air bubble cushion creates more space for a "pinched nerve", allows better motion of the joint and indirectly relaxes muscles by releasing endorphins (your natural opiates!). But as I tell my patients, it's common to have that tensing, neck-protecting, survival mode fear and it's OK to opt-out of the "popping" adjustment.
2-Fear of the Lifetime Sales Pitch
I have fielded phone calls and seen faces of hesitation about signing up for an initial chiropractic appointment due to a fear of having to sign up for life. And I've met plenty of people in my profession that treat a care-plan like a car sale. There are tons of big words and analogies to use to convince someone to buy-in to an extensive treatment plan that they may not need. But questioning a doctor's opinion of an X-ray or diagnosis makes most people nervous. But guess what...you should! If your doctor can't explain to you in better terms, can't back up their reasoning, or makes you feel bad for asking questions-get another doctor. In my opinion, educating you is part of what we get paid to do. And the X-rays and testing we do to make a diagnosis is always an open topic to you. Know, however, your symptoms are not always directly correlated to your X-rays. Radiologist Medical Doctors will tell you there are "picture problems" and there are "problem problems", meaning that just because something shows up on an MRI or X-ray (picture) doesn't mean it's the definite cause of the pain/symptom/problem. Imaging is only necessary in a small number of cases, but there are plenty of chiropractors who often use a "scary" X-ray to pitch a long-term plan. So ask questions until you decide fully if the explanation makes sense and feels right to you.
3-Treatments Don't Last Long
Just getting an adjustment can do wonders to reset the nerves, joints, and even muscles in your body but it's by no means the total solution to correcting a problem. As simple laws of physics state, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In daily life this equates to the idea that if you continue poor postural habits, have an inflammatory diet, and disregard the need to stretch and do some form of exercise you will have a reaction of discontent from your body over time. This also means that getting an adjustment is only going to create a long-term benefit if you also treat the muscles and ligaments and make changes at home too. The principal that muscles and ligaments stretch across joints and move them has created my theory on care. I've worked for chiropractors that use a combination of cold laser therapy, hot stone massage, focused deep tissue, rehab exercise and even infrared sauna heat to address the bones, joints, muscles and ligaments involved in your injury. There are also many chiropractors that stay up-to-date with nutritional seminars and sports exercise techniques to help you change your daily activities to make them helpful instead of harmful. Don't be afraid to ask for a referral to a physical therapist, yoga instructor or massage therapist to help your chiropractic care be more efficient and longer lasting!
4-Cost
Healthcare is expensive no doubt. And if you are shopping around for options, you should be aware of a few things. A typical 1st visit to an MD runs between $80 and $150 for the cash rate and you can expect to also pay for a prescription muscle relaxer, pain killer and/or anti-inflammatory medication. For your first visit with a chiropractor, you should be able to find a good doctor for around $50-100 including either your first treatment or an X-ray (if necessary). You will be expected to return to an M.D. after the course of medications to report changes or get a refill and you will pay about the same amount as the first visit and possibly end up with a referral to a physical therapist or massage therapist. You can get the same referral from a chiropractor with most insurance companies (this usually excludes HMO's). Everyone differs in treatments necessary but in general you should notice a difference in your pain levels by visit 6-8. So for chiropractic beginner treatment course, expect to pay about $35-$45 per treatment for a total of about a $300 investment to get a qualified diagnosis from a doctor and 6-8 treatments. This is highly cost-effective compared to the 2-3 visits you'd get with an MD plus cost of muscle relaxers or anti-inflammatory meds that may only calm and mask a problem. Physical therapy and massage are fantastic treatment methods too, but PT's and Licensed Massage Practitioners are not licensed/trained to give a diagnosis-they are only allowed to treat a problem already diagnosed as safe for them to treat so you may have to see an M.D. or D.C. first.
5-Fear of Becoming Addicted
People definitely enjoy good chiropractic treatments which has created a fear of becoming addicted or reliant on the care. I'd say this fear is as valid as an addiction to working out at the gym or taking yoga classes. Workouts, yoga and good chiropractic feel great because they release endorphins (natural happy molecules) into your body and help you connect with how your body feels. And the more you do them, the more you become aware when something feels "off" or "uncomfortable" which makes you want to do them more. So I don't deny that people can get a little bit addicted to care, but as long as you do the exercises and stretches recommended, you shouldn't feel that you rely on seeing a chiropractor (or any other medical professional) to "fix" you. Your care should be designed to help you figure out what needs to change in your life to be able to take care of your problems on your own and to only see your provider occasionally if the scales of a balanced life tip and you need a little extra help.
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