D. D. Palmer, of Davenport, Iowa, established Chiropractic in 1895 after applying a manual thrust into Harvey Lillard’s spine. The result of this first ever Chiropractic treatment was an improvement in Mr. Lillard’s ability to hear. Surprising as it may be, the original Chiropractic spinal adjustment was delivered to treat a non-painful condition.
After 20 years of continuous, full-time practice, I can personally attest that virtually 100% of the new patients that seek my help are hoping to get out of pain. The most popular presenting complaint is low back pain or lower back pain. Others are; neck pain, headaches, pinched nerves, compressed discs, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, sciatica, leg pain, arm pain, frozen shoulder, fibromyalgia, and carpal tunnel syndrome – just to name a few. So, even though pain is the motivating factor for most new patient appointments, Chiropractic treatment for non-painful conditions is an idea as old as Chiropractic itself.
To take it one step further, what about the most desirable and most sought-after non-painful condition of all – WELLNESS? Let’s define Wellness as not simply feeling good, but more comprehensively as the condition of being vibrantly healthy. It may seem an odd question, but if you had a choice between being vibrantly healthy and being unhealthy, even to a mild degree, which would you choose? Take a minute and choose. And there is the rub, so to speak – can a person simply choose? Can one choose to be healthy? Let’s look at some pertinent scientific evidence – two peer-reviewed studies in particular.
The first is a retrospective study. The healthcare services usage patterns of qualified, long-term Chiropractic patients were statistically compared to usage patterns of non-Chiropractic patients. The investigators sought to identify whether or not there was any benefit to long-term, repetitive Chiropractic care. This study was published in 2000 and sent a shock wave throughout the healthcare provider community. Basically, it showed that patients that had an average of 16.5 years of continuous Chiropractic care, at an average frequency of 17 treatments per year also had an average of 67% decrease in all healthcare costs! A 67% savings – including the cost of the Chiropractic! (Rupert R, DC Journal of Manipulative and Physiologic Therapeutics (JMPT), 2000)
The second study is a long-term clinical comparison of primary care delivered by Chiropractors compared to that delivered by MDs. Published in 2007, this is a big study – 70,274 member-months of data collected over 7 years in 5 states! The patients who saw Chiropractors as their PCP (Primary Care Provider) experienced massive decreases in treatment needed for illness and injury. The Chiropractic patients had 60% less hospital admissions, 62% less out-patient procedures/surgeries, and 85% less pharmaceutical costs! (Richard L. Sarnat, MD, James Winterstein, DC, Jerrilyn A. Cambron, DC, PhD, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, May, 2007)
Chiropractors have been promoting long-term, repetitive care as a wellness strategy for decades. The science is finally catching up to us. Better health and huge financial savings seem to be the most significant “side-effects” of Chiropractic care. Sign me up!
Dr. Mat Pastore, DC, CCSP – 4/19/2011 – Chester, Virginia
For Your Health,
Dr. Mat Pastore