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CHIROPRACTIC HELP OR EXERCISE… THAT IS THE
QUESTION
A question often arises for people considering a visit to a Chiropractor for assistance with a sports injury or a life discomfort. And that question is this: Do I really need Chiropractic help, or will a well designed exercise and stretching program bring the relief that I’m looking to find?
An investigation recently sought an answer to that question regarding a common type of problem involving pain in the back region. Persons with spinal disc problems experiencing a pain that often traveled down to the lower leg were invited to participate in a study aimed at investigating levels of relief.
The study involved a widely-used Chiropractic technique known as flexion- distraction. Flexion refers to the stretching of the affected area and distraction involves hand-pumping motions delivered by the chiropractor to decompress a region of the spine. The technique is delivered with the patient lying face down on a specialized bench that facilitates stretching and is available in many Chiropractic offices.
The 235 persons involved were divided into two study groups. One group received Chiropractic treatment in the form of flexion-distraction. The second group participated in an exercise-physical therapy program. The progress of all subjects was followed for one year with questionnaires to assess levels of pain and dysfunction.
While both groups reported improvements, subjects who received Chiropractic care had significantly lower pain scores than those who received physical therapy. These results brought the authors to the following conclusion: Chiropractic treatment was found to be more effective in reducing pain for one year when compared to the physical therapy.