Many patients use manual therapies to relieve back pain. Does chiropractic has proven efficacy against these pains which affect a considerable proportion of the population? Seven out of ten people sooner or later experience low back pain, which in most cases disappears spontaneously within six weeks. In the others, however, the pain becomes permanent or recurs regularly. For the chiropractic treatment you will find the best deal. This is called chronic low back pain, very difficult to treat. According to a report from the Federal Center for Healthcare Expertise, body exercises and a quick resumption of daily activities are often the best way to get rid of lower back pain.
Manual therapies
Manual therapies chiropractic, osteopathy is based on dry and brief movements, of small amplitude, which aims to put the joints back in place. The joint is “cracked”. This manipulation, dosed with precision, can relieve muscle contractures in the vicinity of the joints concerned.
Chiropractors mainly use techniques focused on “trigger points”. These techniques are also performed by osteopaths. Chiropractors, unlike osteopaths, often use technical aids, such as the activator a sort of spring pistol that gives a measured impulse to the spine. Most of the time they carry out their treatment on a special table, which limits body contact to carry out the manipulations. This contrasts with osteopaths, who need a lot of physical contacts to perform their manipulations.
The vast majority of osteopaths have basic training as a physiotherapist, while more than half of chiropractors only receive training in chiropractic. In this country, there are different courses in osteopathy. Candidate chiropractors must go abroad for training. In our country, chiropractic is not a protected profession. It is therefore important to be well informed about the qualifications of the therapist before seeking treatment.
Chiropractic for low back pain
Chiropractic can relieve pain in certain types of back pain. However, the quality of chiropractic studies is low and the effectiveness of this practice is low at best moderate. But this also applies to many other classic treatments, such as painkillers, back exercises.
- For acute low back pain nonspecific, chiropractic has a little beneficial effect on pain and short-term function.
- For chronic low back pain, there is a weak to moderate effect in the short and long term. There is no evidence that chiropractic is better or worse than other methods of treatment, so no miracles are to be expected.
- For chronic and sub-acute neck pain, the effectiveness of chiropractic is comparable to that of other treatments.
The average number of sessions at a chiropractor varies between six and ten. Often, the sessions are very short: about fifteen minutes on average. Maintenance treatment is recommended afterward. Most mutual partially reimburse the services of a chiropractor.
Possible side effects
Possible side effects are fatigue or stiffness in the muscles. The pain can also temporarily worsen: it is generally a sign that the treatment is working. It should be remembered that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are often used to treat back and neck problems, are also risky.
A joint is the meeting of two bones. These are united by a sealed articular capsule which contains a viscous liquid: synovia. In the human body, there are large joints, for example, the knee and smaller ones like those of the fingers. At the level of the spine, the front of the vertebrae articulates together by means of a disc which is in fact a cushion absorbing the shocks.