Chiropractic services are an important first line of defense against pain and, in some cases, chiropractic can lessen a patient’s reliance on addictive painkillers or prevent their use altogether. It makes sense to exhaust conservative forms of treatment such as chiropractic care before moving on to riskier, potentially addictive pain medications. Statistics show that as many as one in four patients who receive prescription opioids long-term for non-cancer pain in primary care settings struggle with addiction. In addition, every day more than 1,000 people are treated in the emergency room for misusing prescription opioids.

In the wake of the opioid epidemic, many respected health care organizations now recommend non-drug treatments. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in its 2016 guidelines for prescribing opioids, notes that nonpharmacologic therapies are preferred for treating chronic pain. In addition, the National Pain Strategy, an initiative by several federal agencies, recognizes chiropractic’s value as a method for pain management.

Doctors of chiropractic medicine— often referred to as chiropractors or chiropractic physicians — practice a hands-on, drug-free approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment primarily of disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the nervous system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Using treatments such as spinal manipulation, chiropractic physicians take a drug-free approach to treating back pain, neck pain and other musculoskeletal disorders. High-quality research has found spinal manipulation to be effective for acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling.

Presented as a service to the community by: Union County Chiropractic Clinic, 110 Skyline Drive, Maynardville, TN (865) 992-7000 www.unioncountychiropractic.com