Chronic low back pain is a common complaint of people who seek chiropractic care. Chiropractors are best known for providing relief to patients suffering from neck and back pain. Some patients only need a few treatments for an acute problem and never require therapy again. Others suffer from chronic back pain that conventional medical treatment does not seem to help, and they don’t want to resort to surgery. They may schedule regular appointments with a chiropractic doctor or come in when pain flares up. Chronic low back pain is a particular concern for senior citizens, as this problem is associated with a greater risk of falling and experiencing a fracture or other serious injury.
Both chiropractic care and physical therapy have been found to help relieve lower back pain in senior citizens. A combination of these two therapies is effective as well. One study evaluated whether either treatment had a better success rate and found that chiropractic therapy was more effective in managing this problem in senior citizens. The main difference between the two treatments was that chiropractic therapy had longer-lasting results before the study participants needed to receive treatment again.
With chiropractic care in Fort Collins CO, people in their senior years can avoid taking pain medication on a regular basis or at least reduce the dosage they had been taking. This can be important when people want to avoid possible side effects, some of which can be serious. Ongoing use of ibuprofen, for example, sometimes leads to the development of ulcers and internal bleeding. Many individuals who suffer from back pain take prescription-level dosages of this nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication on a daily basis for years. No pain-relief drug is without possible side effects; high doses of acetaminophen, for example, can cause liver problems.
A senior citizen dealing with chronic low back pain may want to schedule an appointment with a clinic such as Heart & Hand Chiropractic and begin this alternative therapy. Positive results usually are experienced within just one or therapy sessions, although it may take more to reach maximum improvement.
