Spinal Manipulation: Is it Effective and Safe?

According to statistics, 80% of the population will experience back pain at some point in their lifetime. Lower back pain is considerably the leading cause of disability worldwide. Back problems not only impact daily activities but also affect the ability of a person to do work. Unfortunately, 9 out of 10 people who seek medical treatment are having difficulty in finding the primary cause of their back pain and experts found spinal manipulation as an effective remedy.

Moreover, one of the weak links of human anatomy is the back. The spine is composed of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles. One wrong move can lead to back pain, like sprained ligaments, ruptured disks, sports injuries and strained muscles. Other causes of back pain are poor posture, obesity, psychological stress and disease of the internal organs. But, back pain is basically the result of a person’s daily habits. It’s the accumulation of stress and pressure on the back.

In addition, more people who suffer from back pain are desk workers. The sitting position actually plays a huge part of causing back pain.  Avoid slouching,  hunching forward or forcing to straighten the back. The best sitting position is when a person is relaxed or in a balanced position. The standing up position is also a good way to reduce the pressure on the spine. For desk workers, it is recommended to have a 2-3 minutes break where a person can stand up, stretch, and walk around to relieve the stress on the back.

People also read: Healthy Lifestyle For A Longer Life

There are many treatments available for back pain such as medication, chiropractic, physical therapy, surgery, TENS (Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation), steroid injections, and acupuncture. However, spinal manipulation is the most conservative treatment where high-velocity low-amplitude (HVLA) thrust is applied, and is considered to be the safest and most effective back pain treatment. According to the Health Care Research and Quality, spinal manipulation is recognized as the only safe and effective, drug-less form of treatment. Although, a lot of people believe that prevention is better than cure therefore to prevent back pain, a person has to maintain healthy diet and weight. It is advisable to avoid prolonged inactivity and maintain proper posture.