Alternatives To Chiropractic

As a retired orthopedic physical therapist with over 38 years of experience, I believe I have something to offer in the discussion regarding chiropractic.

First of all, it is important to understand the rationale and methods used in the practice of chiropractic that is at odds with known science.  These articles will serve as an introduction to such:

http://www.skepdic.com/chiro.html

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-end-of-chiropractic/

http://saveyourself.ca/articles/reality-checks/does-chiropractic-work.php

If you want an expose of chiropractic from the inside, I recommend this book:    http://www.amazon.com/dp/0972709495

Now, can people get pain relief from chiropractic?  Yes.  Some types of spinal pain (a minority of such) can be effectively treated with manipulation and various relaxing modalities.  However, the questions are, does such effective treatment need to be provided by a chiropractor, and does chiropractic do so efficiently and safely?  Are there other practitioners qualified to provide safe, efficient and effective spinal care (including manipulation/mobilization, if appropriate) in an ethical and science-based manner?  Yes., physical therapy from a licensed physical therapist with a specialty in spinal care is my recommendation for an alternative to chiropractic. 

Experienced and qualified spinal physical therapists are just as available in most of the USA as chiropractors.  They practice in therapist-owned clinics and clinics associated with orthopedic medical doctors.  An internet search of such local physical therapy practices should give you a list of qualified therapists.

Below is from a website specializing in answering questions from the public about a wide variety of subjects.  It is in response to the question, "What are the alternatives to chiropractic manipulation?"

http://ask.metafilter.com/102091/Alternatives-to-chiropractry

Physical therapy!!! (Someone with a PT or DPT, after his or her name.) Find someone who takes a history and explains the likely causes of your wife's back issues, tests for muscle weakness not just in her back, gives her a small set of well-explained exercises to do (and takes plenty of time to demonstrate them, make sure your wife understands, etc.), suggests how to adjust her daily activities, and what a possible timeline is for recovery. If he or she does all these things, you're probably in pretty good hands.

Chiropractic can't really solve anything permanently, because your muscles and daily activities will you take you right back to where you started. Plus, high-velocity manipulation is dangerous. Physical therapy done right changes underlying structure and muscle balance, as well as reeducates movement. It's a smarter, safer fix.

By the way, not only are physical therapists valuable for the management of spinal pain, orthopedic extremity (shoulder, elbow, hand, hip, knee, ankle, and foot) problems can be safely, efficiently, and effectively managed by orthopedic physical therapists with a specialty in those areas as well.

SUMMARY

If you defend chiropractic because you personally receive relief from it, please keep in mine the following:

• You are thinking from personal experience and are not considering the big picture of how chiropractic is a practice not based on science and that it heavily uses slick marketing tools and practice promotion techniques for profitability.  
• Your relief may be the result of the placebo effect, something that seems to be a "real" medical treatment -- but isn't.   http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/what-is-the-placebo-effect
• You may be fortunate enough to have the right type of back problem treatable by manipulation.  Most back problems do not benefit from such.
• Chiropractic does not focus on the management of the causes of the back problem and usually encourages treatments beyond what is necessary.  If manipulation is appropriate, relief is quick and a lengthy series of treatments is not needed.  A qualified orthopedic physical therapist can give you the tools to minimize any recurrence of the problem.