10 Useful Facts About Chiropractic Care (brought to you by Dr. Chip Studley)

1. Chiropractic may seem like a relatively new field (gaining formal recognition only 100 years ago or so), but spinal manipulation has been practiced for more than 2,500 years in many cultures around the world.

2. Currently, there are more than 77,000 Doctors of Chiropractic practicing across all 50 states in the U.S. Another 3,000 or so chiropractors are licensed but not practicing, choosing to work in management roles, research, or academia, etc. (For comparison sake, that’s more than the number of people employed by American Airlines!)

3. Chiropractic care is also the fastest growing health profession in the U.S., with chiropractors making up the third-largest group of medical practitioners (behind only Medical Doctors and dentists).

4. Similar to MDs, DCs (Doctor of Chiropractic) attend a nationally accredited four-year doctoral graduate school program before they can practice, for a total of at least seven years of post-secondary college or university. In total, DCs must complete a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, lab, and clinical internship time.

5. About one out of every ten Americans visits a chiropractor annually, an estimated 27 million people of all ages. Each and every day in the U.S., nearly one million people receive chiropractic adjustments! Anyone may go to a chiropractor for treatment, regardless of age, and for a wide variety of reasons. People with back pain often seek the treatment of a chiropractor, but so do people with carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, frozen shoulder (shoulder impingement), sciatica, tendonitis, and many other common ailments.

6. Chiropractic care is also extremely cost-effective compared to treatment for various conditions initiated by a Medical Doctor, at a hospital, etc. In fact, low back pain treated by a DC costs 20% less on average! In fact, it’s estimated that visiting a chiropractor for back pain instead of an MD would save Medicare $83.5 million each year.

7. Chiropractic treatment is most beneficial when Doctors of Chiropractic work in conjunction – not competition – with Medical Doctors. Chiropractic care is also not only corrective, but preventive, improving overall health, promoting wellness, and reducing pain and the possibility of future injury.

8. Chiropractic treatment is also a great first course of action to prevent risky and intrusive surgeries. For instance, one prominent study found that workers with back injuries who first went to a surgeon or MD for treatment ended up getting back surgery 42.7% of the time. However, workers who first went to a chiropractor for treatment and guidance only had back surgery 1.5% of the time.

9. Visiting a Chiropractor when you’re dealing with an injury or some sort of pain is more important than ever in light of the over-prescription of opioid painkillers in America. In fact, according to The National Institute of Health, between 5 and 8 million Americans regularly take opioid painkillers to manage some form of long-term chronic pain. (Around 1.5-2.5% of the entire population.) It’s also been well-documented how addictive those opioid painkillers are. In fact, Drugabuse.gov estimates that 2.1 million Americans suffer from substance abuse disorders stemming from prescription opioid pain relievers.

So, if you’re facing pain or some sort of injury, the choice to make an appointment with me (or another Doctor of Chiropractic) first can make a profound difference in your health – and your life.

10. Chiropractic care is a safe and effective way to treat back pain, neck pain, and many injuries suffered in automobile accidents, workplace accidents, and while participating in athletics. In fact, most health care programs and insurance carriers now cover chiropractic visits, as well as Medicaid, the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense, Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, Federal Workers’ Compensation, and state workers’ compensation programs.

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If you have more questions about chiropractic care, including the basics of chiropractic adjustments, please go to https://studleychiro.com/chiropractic-faq/

To schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Chip Studley go to https://studleychiro.com/contact/ or call (916) 469-9235.