Do Chiropractors Believe in Medicine and Surgery??

Well, I can’t speak for all chiropractors, but for me…this question is an easy one!  I absolutely believe in medicine and surgery.  BUT…only when it is NECESSARY!!!  These days, prescription medications are thrown at patients by medical doctors because medical doctors have no other means of treating the condition.  In my opinion, pharmaceutical companies run the medical industry.  Is that good for patients?  Absolutely not!  But that is how pharmaceutical companies make their money…by keeping patients sick.  Surgery is not much better.  If you go to a surgeon, they are, more times than not, going to tell you that you need surgery.  It’s what they do!!! 

So many people are on medications to treat the side effects of the medications they are on.  It is a vicious cycle.  Most medical conditions that people are taking medications for can be treated with healthy diet, exercise and believe it or not…chiropractic care!  High blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, obesity, fatigue, type II diabetes…the list goes on and on.  All of these disorders are often caused by poor diet and lack of exercise.  Now, I do know that genetics can play a role in the predisposition of disorders like these…but that genetic predisposition does not mean you WILL get the disorder.  Wouldn’t you rather alter your diet and exercise a few minutes a day and be healthy, than rely on chemicals (medications) to run your body and have to deal with the horrific side effects?  Chiropractic care promotes a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle.  Not to mention that receiving consistent chiropractic adjustments has been shown to reduce blood pressure, signs of asthma, and ear infections.  Plus…it can help boost your immune system by clearing out any pressure on your nervous system!                      
            

                                                              

Medications are absolutely necessary in some situations though.  Take an infection for example.  Chiropractic cannot destroy the bacteria or virus causing the infection.  Antibiotics or antivirals are needed to control the infection.  Another example would be cancer.  Chiropractic cannot destroy the cancer cells invading the body…chemotherapy and/or radiation is needed for that.  But things like cancer and infection are caused by toxins from outside the body.  High blood pressure, high cholesterol and type II diabetes are usually caused by toxins from inside the body…toxins from eating unhealthy foods or toxins that are not released through exercise.

Surgery is the same way.  Sometimes surgery is absolutely necessary…and sometimes there are other routes to try first.  Surgery to repair the effects of trauma, organ transplantation, or in emergency situations is, of course, necessary, but back surgery or carpal tunnel surgery is not always needed.  In a 2010 study, 74% of back surgeries failed, meaning the pain felt before surgery was still present afterwards or the surgery did not accomplish what it was supposed to.  Often, conservative care for back pain, and even carpal tunnel syndrome, is more effective than surgery…especially when treated early enough.  

In summary…I personally believe that medications and surgery have a need and a purpose.  But I do not believe they are the end all, be all in medicine.  Chiropractic care can help with so many different issues, injuries and disorders that it cannot be forgotten or overlooked when searching for a treatment option.  The doctors at Pro Chiropractic are all well trained and passionate about helping their patients by drilling down to the cause of the problem and not just treating the surface symptoms.

If you or someone you know in the Gallatin Valley area is looking for a chiropractor, please call Dr. Shea Stark with Pro Chiropractic at 406-219-2462 to schedule an appointment in our Belgrade, Manhattan, or Bozeman office.  Dr. Stark is a board certified chiropractor and the author of this blog post.  To learn more about Dr. Stark and the many benefits of chiropractic care, please visit our website: www.prochiromt.com.

What Does Chiropractic Care Treat???

Have you ever wondered what conditions can be treated by a chiropractor?  On many occasions I have had patients tell me about an injury or ailment as a side note and they are surprised when I tell them that I can treat it.  Most people think that chiropractors only treat back and neck pain, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.  Of course, some chiropractors choose to only focus on treating back and neck pain…but that is not the case at Pro Chiropractic!

A chiropractor is an expert in treating musculoskeletal issues, including ligament sprains, muscle strains, overuse injuries (like carpal tunnel syndrome or tennis elbow), headaches, and many more.  Our effectiveness in treating those issues isn’t just limited to the spine.  As chiropractic physicians, we are equipped to not only adjust the spine, but extremities as well.  Some chiropractors even choose to further their education by specializing in the treatment of sports injuries. 

Let’s start with the issues that are most commonly associated with chiropractic care.  Low back pain, neck pain, herniated discs and headaches are often treated in a chiropractic clinic.  And rightfully so as chiropractors are very effective in treating these conditions.  More often than not, a non-traumatic onset of low back or neck pain is due to an underlying structural issue with the spine.  The musculature supporting and surrounding the spine can only compensate for poor structure for so long before they give up and cause pain.  Consistent chiropractic adjustments, paired with therapeutic exercises and soft tissue mobilization, have been shown to help restore the proper structure of the spine.  This is also true for herniated discs.  Receiving consistent chiropractic adjustments can help to decompress the disc space thus relieving pressure off the disc itself and allowing it to resume its original shape and orientation, minimizing the herniation (bulging part of the disc).  Once the pressure on the disc is relieved and the herniation is resolved, the pressure and irritation on the spinal nerve is also relieved which diminishes or eliminates the associated symptoms like pain, numbness or tingling. 

What most people don’t know is that chiropractors can treat most sports injuries as well.  Ankle sprains, pulled hamstrings or quadriceps, runner’s knee, jumper’s knee, plantar fasciitis, shin splints, rotator cuff injuries, IT band syndrome and concussions are just the tip of the chiropractic iceberg.  Many athletes are predisposed to developing one or more of these conditions because the joints in their extremities (arms and legs) are not aligned properly.  Continuous practice and play on misaligned joints can change the way the surrounding muscles function, thus increasing the risk of injury.  But aligning the joints is just one aspect of treatment.  Soft tissue mobilization to help reduce fascial adhesions (muscle knots) can make a huge difference in how well the muscles function.  The application of kinesiology tape or strapping tape can also be beneficial while treating the injury because the tape can add support to a joint or reduce pain in a muscle.  Concussions are a hot topic in sports today and chiropractors are qualified to assess them and provide recommendations on activity restriction that may be necessary for proper recovery.

If you have an injury that you want to have evaluated and treated, odds are a chiropractor can help you.  So if you already see a chiropractor, don’t hesitate to tell them about it.  If you don’t , call ProChiropractic today  for an appointment with any of our four amazing doctors of chiropractic at any of our three state of the art offices in the Gallatin Valley.

If you or someone you know in the Gallatin Valley area is looking for a chiropractor, please call Dr. Shea Stark with Pro Chiropractic at 406-219-2462 to schedule an appointment in our Belgrade, Manhattan, or Bozeman office.  Dr. Stark is a board certified chiropractor and the author of this blog post.  To learn more about Dr. Stark and the many benefits of chiropractic care, please visit our website: www.prochiromt.com.