Chiropractors and Exercise Are Better than Drugs says Research…
If you visit a conventional physician for pain, there’s a very good chance you’ll leave with a prescription for a medication, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs like Ibuprofen), acetaminophen (Tylenol) and even opioids (OxyContin, Vicodin, etc.). These are the go-to treatment for pain in the modern medical world.
However, there are better options than drugs for neck pain, not only in terms of pain relief, but also in helping to treat the underlying cause of the pain so that healing can truly occur. Wellness doctors such as chiropractors and osteopathic physicians (DOs) have helped millions of patients achieve pain relief without drugs.
Study Shows Exercises and Chiropractic Care Beat Drugs for Neck Pain
According to a study published in 2012 in the Annals of Internal Medicine and funded by the National Institutes of Health, medication is not the best option for treating neck pain.
After following 272 neck-pain patients for 12 weeks, those who used a chiropractor or exercise were more than twice as likely to be pain free compared to those who took medication.
Specifically:
- 32 percent who received chiropractic care became pain free
- 30 percent of those who exercised became pain free
- 13 percent of those treated with medication became pain free
Researchers concluded:
“For participants with acute and subacute neck pain, SMT [spinal manipulation therapy] (in other words, a chiropractic adjustment) was more effective than medication in both the short and long term. However, a few instructional sessions of HEA [home exercise with advice] resulted in similar outcomes at most time points.”
In the case of neck pain, and many other kinds of pain, the underlying cause is often related to body mechanics (posture) or misalignments in your spine. Addressing your posture, exercising, and chiropractic care is very effective at relieving the pain and addressing the underlying cause. If you have chronic pain of any kind, please understand that there are many safe and effective alternatives to prescription and over-the-counter painkillers. These may require some patience as exercising, good posture habits, and chiropractic adjustments take time to help the body heal from a chronic problem that took months or even years to develop.
To see the full article containing information on this study and more about chiropractic care and specific exercises, please click HERE.
For more information on how chiropractic and wellness care can help you, please see our home page HERE.
