An estimated 3 million Australians (13.6% of the total population) have back problems including 2.8 million with back and disc disorders and an additional 0.2 million with sciatica according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) figures.1,2
The main purpose of pain is to warn us that a region of your body has reached its threshold, or limitation. For example. Try bending your little finger backwards. I bet that if you keep going, your body will alert you when you approach the limit of its range of motion. Life without pain may sound good, but pain is essential for our wellbeing.
The same thing applied to any pain or symptom just like low back pain. It is merely a method of communication your body uses to let you know that you have reached your threshold. Pain, spasm or inflammation usually comes on at the end of normal musculoskeletal function. Most of the time people
miss the subtle signs and symptoms before it becomes more serious or mask them hoping they go away and thinking it’s just “muscular”.
Chiropractors are the spinal health care experts. Research has found Chiropractic care of the spine reduces pain, decreases medication, and is extremely cost effective without significant trauma, the underlying cause of back pain is usually an accumulation of stressors (chemical, physical, emotional) on the body over a period of time.
Research on the Chiropractic care for lower back pain is already extensive. Chiropractic care of the spine has been shown to reduce pain, decrease medication, and is extremely cost effective.
Let’s look at the research
Few (if any) other health care interventions have been assessed as extensively as chiropractic spinal manipulation, both in terms of safety and effectiveness. Furthermore, few other health care professions have been as thoroughly researched as chiropractic.
There have been at least six formal government inquiries into chiropractic worldwide over the last 25 years (including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Sweden). These six studies state that contemporary chiropractic care is safe, effective, and cost-effective and have recommended public funding for chiropractic services.
A Government Research agency in America reviewed thousands of studies on lower back pain. After selecting the best scientifically-based studies they concluded that spinal manipulation (94% of which is done by chiropractors) was clearly superior to any other treatment for low back pain. This was stated by a panel of 23 independent multidisciplinary clinicians and supported by a staff of 200 leading back experts.3