Chiropractic to Avoid Surgery

We see a lot of patients in our office who are suffering from back pain, and sometimes these people have been told by their doctor that they might need back surgery to recover. Luckily, they came to us before consulting a surgeon because chiropractic has helped many patients get the pain relief needed to avoid any kind of surgery.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, as many as 80% of the population will experience back pain at some point in their lives. That’s a lot of people and a lot of pain. However, many people still don’t seek out chiropractic to relieve their back pain symptoms. So I wanted to share some facts with you and urge you to seek alternative treatments before going under the knife!

A study conducted by medical experts from Dartmouth that was published in the Spine journal reviewed statistics from 1,900 employees in Washington who saw either an orthopedic surgeon or a chiropractor due to low back pain. They then reviewed three years’ worth of follow-up medical data on those employees to find out whether they had back surgery to treat their pain.

What the study discovered was that over 43% of employees who consulted an orthopedic surgeon for their back pain ended up having surgery in that three year time frame, while only 1.5% of those who saw a chiropractor ended up having surgery.

I always recommend that my patients get a second opinion when it comes to any type of surgery. And, if it involves your spine, why not consult with a chiropractor as well? Before having back surgery, I think it’s very important to understand the risks.

The Risks of Back Surgery

Obviously all surgeries involve a risk, but any surgery related to the spine can be devastating if it goes wrong. The Mayo Clinic even states that while "back pain is extremely common ... surgery often fails to relieve it.” Most patients who undergo surgery often have to repeat the surgery later on as the back pain returns.

I believe that surgery should be the last resort for treating back pain. Regular chiropractic care will restore your spine to its normal function, without surgery or drugs, and there are many studies to back up the effectiveness of chiropractic.

If you or anyone you know suffers from back pain give us a call today at 415-389-1098. If you’d like to learn more about chiropractic ask me any questions in the comments below!