About 80 percent of adults suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Many people seek out a chiropractor to ease the pain, but few know what the differences are between chiropractors, physiotherapists and osteopaths.
Traditionally, a chiropractor’s main strategy was to adjust the spine and other bones in the body. The theory is that pain is caused by a misalignment of the skeletal system. Adjustments can mean a quick and sharp twist of the neck or a fast and heavy thrust on bones.
There have been cases of death and injury from these adjustments. Damage to the arteries that carry blood through the spinal cord and up to the brain causes strokes. Other complications include herniated disks or damage to the nerves in the spinal cord which can lead to intense pain, muscle weakness and incontinence.
Review studies—which look at results from many studies and cases, and pool all that information together—are the best way to get a better perspective on a debate. One review of of adverse outcomes, such as fractures or disk herniations, found that in the majority of cases (80 percent) the provider was a chiropractor — compared to 6 percent where the provider was an osteopath or 4 percent where it was a medical doctor.
If chiropractic adjustments are no better than other therapies and potentially more dangerous, why do people seek this type of treatment?
A quick fix obsession is also reflected by the fact that about 70 percent of people use pain medication for low back pain. This addresses the symptom but not the cause.