Chiropractic Care VS Physical Therapy

Low back pain represents a consistent and costly musculoskeletal condition. Patients with low back pain endure surgery, injections, and expensive visits to emergency departments. Over-the-counter NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) drugs usually serve as the first choice of relief for back pain sufferers. These NSAID drugs carry a large list of unwanted and dangerous side effects with. They also never address the structural cause of the problem. Thousands of people continue to investigate various alternatives to invasive treatments used to alleviate back pain.

Low back pain will affect over 80% of people at some point in their life and comprises the number one reason for disability in North America. Back pain signals impingement in the spine’s ability to move, bend, or twist. Low back pain immediately deteriorates quality of life and leads people to look for a quick and easy solution, misunderstanding that taking pills masks the pain but ultimately leaves the body in a worse condition. Proactive health care services like chiropractic and physical therapy offer an alternative opportunity to pursue pain reduction and healing at a much lower cost and without the risk of drugs or surgery. A new study published in 2020 evaluated the effectiveness of chiropractic care compared to outcomes experienced by those who chose physical therapy to combat back pain.

The study determined that patients treated by chiropractors reported a higher level of satisfaction than those receiving treatment from orthopedic surgeons. People also reported more significant benefits (clinically and statistically) compared to those only pursuing medical care. One of the most notable statistics involved a difference in cost between pursuing physical therapy verses chiropractic care. Chiropractic patients reported an average cost of approximately $49 less. Patients experiencing at least three weeks of back pain in the previous six months found chiropractic care to be a cost-effective health care alternative.

Both chiropractic and physical therapy represent better options to resolving long-term back pain than medical interventions. Proactive health care remains the best choice for patients experiencing health care concerns. Chiropractic leads the way in non-invasive treatments. Lower cost and better results make chiropractic the best option for anyone seeking relief from back pain.

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Healthcare (Basel) March 2020
“Treatment of Patients with Low Back Pain: A Comparison of Physical Therapy and Chiropractic Manipulation.” Nima Khodakarami