There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding Chiropractic care. If you have ever wondered if Chiropractic care is safe and scientifically backed, then today’s blog post on different misconceptions about Chiropractic is for you!
1. Chiropractors are not legitimate/real doctors
Becoming a Chiropractor takes five years of intense university study. In Queensland, you must complete a three-year Bachelor’s degree followed by a two year Master of Clinical Chiropractic degree. The Bachelor of Science degree introduces the students to human biological sciences and introductory Chiropractic units, as well as nutrition and rehabilitation. Next, they move onto their second degree where they learn the process of reaching a logical diagnosis, planning a patient’s treatment and assessing the effectiveness of the therapeutic intervention throughout the treatment plan. These courses have all been accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education Australia.
2. Chiropractic care doesn’t work or isn’t effective
This is a common misconception when it comes to Chiropractic. The truth is that Chiropractic has many evidence-based studies proving that it does indeed work and is very effective for many conditions including, but not limited to, headaches, neck pain and low back pain. In 2018, a review was published in The Spine Journal which referenced various studies over 17 years which involved spinal manipulation and mobilisation. This review found Chiropractic methods to be viable options for pain management in those suffering from chronic low back pain.
In Australia, practicing Chiropractors are vigorously regulated. Chiropractors receive their registration through The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), which is the same body that registers other healthcare professions such as GPs, physiotherapists, dentists and podiatrists. Like other medical professionals in Australia, Chiropractors are required to register with their own body, the Chiropractic Board of Australia, and are held to the standards, guidelines and codes established by this board.
4. Chiropractic care is only for adults and is not suitable for children
In 2019, Safer Care Victoria undertook an independent review of the practice of Chiropractic spinal manipulation on children under 12 years. They found that there were no reports of harm from the 21,874 public submissions, 99.7% of public submissions reported positive experiences with Chiropractic care of their children under 12, 98% of responses indicated that Chiropractic care helped their child and parents appreciated the treatment offered, the information provided by the Chiropractor (99.1%) and the explanation of risks of the treatment (95.8%). The review also concluded that Chiropractic spinal treatment for infants and children is extremely safe with no adverse events found.
5. Chiropractic adjustments are painful
In most cases, adjustments do not hurt at all. In fact, many people find it very relaxing to have an adjustment. During the adjustment, you may sometimes feel or hear a ‘popping’ sound from the joints. This is simply caused by gas releasing from within the joint and is completely normal. Chiropractors are able to adapt the adjustments to the patient in order for them to feel comfortable throughout the process.
6. You need a referral to see a Chiropractor
In Australia, Chiropractors are primary healthcare practitioners and therefore you do not need a referral to see them. They are trained to recognise if you will or won’t benefit from their care and are able to refer you to other healthcare practitioners if necessary.
The above are just a handful of the many misconceptions that exist about Chiropractic. If you have any questions relating to any of these misconceptions or other ones that you may have heard, contact Total Health Chiropractic or your local Chiropractor and we will be happy to clear them up for you.
References
Australian College of Chiropractic Paediatrics, (2019). ACCP update: Safer Care Victoria Review and COAG. [online] Available at:https://accp.asn.au/scv [accessed 21 April 2021]
Bronfort, G., Haas, M., Evans, R., Leininger, B. & Triano, J. (2010). Effectiveness of manual therapies: the UK evidence report. Chiropractic and Osteopathy, [online] 25(18), 3. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20184717/ [accessed 21 April 2021].
Coulter, I., Crawford, C., Hurwitz, E., Khorsan, R., Booth, M. & Herman, P. (2018). Manipulation and mobilization for treating chronic low back pain: a systemic review and meta-analysis. The Spine Journal, [online] 18(5), 866-879. Available at: https://www.thespinejournalonline.com/article/S1529-9430(18)30016-0/fulltext [accessed 21 April 2021].
Schulz, C., Hondras, M., Evans, R., Gudavalli, M., Long, C., Owens, E., Wilder, D. & Bronfort, G. (2011). Chiropractic and self-care for back-related leg pain: design of a randomized clinical trial. Chiropractic & Manual Therapies, [online] 19(8). Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3072925/ [accessed 21 April 2021].
Woodward, M., Cook, J., Gargan, M. & Bannister, G. (1996). Chiropractic treatment of chronic ‘whiplash’ injuries. Injury, [online] 27(9), 643-645. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9039361/ [accessed 21 April 2021].
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