Patients who come into our London chiropractic clinic – MotionBack are often dealing with musculoskeletal issues that cause chronic pain. When questioned about their pain, they often mention that it can be quite severe at times and that they have to resort to using strong pain killers.
A recent study published in the United States suggests that chiropractic care is so effective that it reduces the need for pain medication dramatically. The study found that chiropractic care is contributing towards an almost 50 percent reduction in opioid prescriptions in the USA.
After reviewing the findings, some researchers believe that chiropractic care could play a significant role in reducing the impact of the opioid crisis. In this post, I’ll explain what the research found and why chiropractic care is so effective at relieving pain.
Are you suffering from chronic pain? Book an appointment with a London chiropractor by calling 0207 112 5408 or book online on our website here by clicking here . You can also read the rest of the article to learn more about the study’s findings and how chiropractic care reduces pain.
What did the study find?
Researchers from the Yale School of Medicine at Yale University conducted a meta-analysis to determine if there was a relationship between chiropractic care and opioid use.
A small but growing amount of scientific literature has suggested that chiropractic care might be negatively correlated with opioid use. In other words, when a person uses chiropractic care they will be less likely to use opioids.
However, as Lead author Kelsey L. Corcoran explained, “no study has systematically reviewed all of the available literature to determine if indeed there was an overall association between use of a chiropractor and receipt of opioids.” Dr. Corcoran and her team were curious to see if chiropractic care would have an impact on downstream opioid use.
The researchers examined all of the available literature on chiropractic care and opioid use. They then picked the six best studies for closer analysis. These studies involved a total of 62,000 patients.
They discovered that the proportion of patients receiving an opioid prescription was lower for chiropractic users compared with nonusers. Of the people who went to a chiropractor, between 12.3% – 57.6% (depending on study) had an opioid prescription. This figure was between 31.2% – 65.9% for individuals who did not receive chiropractic care. Dr. Corcoran also discovered that chiropractic users were less likely to obtain an opioid prescription in the first place.
How Does Chiropractic Reduce Pain?
There are several ways that chiropractic care can eliminate pain:
Ensuring that joints are correctly aligned
The body’s joints can become misaligned after an injury, repetitive use, or misuse. This can stress the cartilage surrounding the joint, causing inflammation and a significant amount of pain. The most common joints affected by misalignment are within the lower back, but virtually any joint can become misaligned.
Chiropractors can perform adjustments which bring the joints back into their correct alignment. After being adjusted, the patient should experience a reduction in pain, along with an improvement in joint mobility.
Removing muscle tension
Muscular tension is another common cause of chronic pain. It is often caused by overuse, injury, or postural issues. Chiropractors can perform manual therapies, massage and therapeutic exercise to relieve muscular pain. They can also perform adjustments that deal with the root cause of muscle pain, like poor posture.
Removing nerve pressure
Nerve problems can also cause a significant amount of pain and lead to other medical issues, like persistent headaches and carpal tunnel syndrome. Chiropractors can make adjustments that relieve pinched nerves and alleviate the pain that a patient is experiencing.
Faster recovery from injury
Chiropractic care can be used to speed up recovery after an injury. By doing so, the patient is less likely to need pain killers or will be on pain killers for a shorter period. This reduces the likelihood of opioid addiction.
Are you suffering from chronic pain? Book an appointment with a by calling 0207 112 5408 or book online on our website here by clicking here.