Improves neck pain
Neck pain is a common problem, especially if you sit for many hours a day, frequently bend your neck to use your phone, or have poor posture. A chiropractor may help ease your neck pain by realigning your spine and easing tension in your neck muscles.
Spinal manipulation is more effective than medication at treating non-specific neck pain in a group of 272 adults at 8-, 12-, 26-, and 52-week follow-ups.
Cervical spine manipulation may help decrease neck pain in the short-term by modifying levels of neuropeptides in your blood. Neuropeptides are proteins made in your nervous system that function as neurotransmitters or hormones.
Reduces reliance on opioid pain relievers
People with chronic pain are often given prescriptions for opioid pain relievers to help manage their discomfort. However, undergoing chiropractic treatment may lower your need to take these pain relievers. A large 2020 study compared the number of prescriptions for opioid pain relievers filled for adults who visited just their doctor or who visited both a chiropractor and their doctor to treat spinal pain. The study found that adults who visited a chiropractor were less likely to get an opioid prescription filled for their pain compared to those who only saw their doctor.
Eases back pain
Chiropractic treatment may be a good alternative to more invasive alternatives like surgery or injections for treating short-term or chronic back pain.
The American College of Physicians recommends that doctors encourage people with chronic low back pain to first seek non-medication treatments before taking medication to treat their pain. Some of the treatment options recommended include:
- spinal manipulation (chiropractic care)
- exercise
- acupuncture
- yoga
- tai chi
- progressive muscle relaxation
- meditation
Possible reduction of osteoarthritis symptoms
Osteoarthritis pain is caused by the degeneration of the cartilage in a joint that causes the ends of your bones to rub together. Some types of chiropractic adjustments may help align your joints and reduce how much your bones rub together.
There hasn’t been a lot of research on the benefits of chiropractic manipulation for osteoarthritis. However, a 2020 animal study found some evidence that chiropractic manipulation may help slow down the progression of arthritis by improving the status of cartilage, bone, and the joint capsule.
Eases headache symptoms
Spinal manipulation may be effective at treating tension headaches and headaches that originate in your neck.
A 2016 study found that 6 to 8 sessions of cervical and upper thoracic spine manipulation were more effective than movement and exercise for relieving pain in people with chronic headaches. This was still the case at a 3-month follow-up.
More affordable treatment for chronic back pain
Chiropractic treatment may be a cheaper alternative to conventional treatment for chronic low back pain. In a 2016 study, researchers looked at the potential financial benefits of chiropractic treatment for Medicare recipients with chronic back pain. The researchers found that people who received chiropractic treatment had a lower overall treatment cost. The study also determined that their treatment duration was shorter than that of those who had conventional medical treatment.
Reduces scoliosis symptoms
Chiropractic care may help improve the Cobb angle of people with scoliosis. The Cobb angle is a measurement of how much side-to-side deformity there is in the spine.
A 2016 study found that the Cobb angle in a group of five children with scoliosis improved after 8 weeks of chiropractic treatment. Noticeable improvements were seen after 4 weeks of treatment.
Helps improve posture
Undergoing chiropractic treatment may potentially help correct poor posture, especially if your poor posture is caused by too much sitting.
A 2017 case study examined the effect of chiropractic treatment on a 27-year-old woman suffering from back pain, neck pain, and headaches caused by hyperkyphosis posture. Hyperkyphosis is commonly known as a hunchback posture. After 30 treatments over 6 months, she showed a significant improvement in her posture and pain relief in both her head and neck.
May help athletic performance
Spinal adjustments may potentially improve your athletic performance. This could be due to increased joint mobility, reduced pain, and less tissue restriction. However, there are still some questions about whether spinal adjustments improve sports performance. A 2019 review of studies found that it didn’t improve performance in people without symptoms. Chiropractic adjustments may be effective when used to deal with pain caused by an injury.