I never intended for my first blog post ever to be related to the super obvious “back pain” but why don’t we go ahead and address the elephant in the room. Most people seek out chiropractors for some kind of surface issue, back pain, neck pain, etc… but I hope by the end of this post, you’ll see that chiropractic is so much more than that! It’s about being truly healthy from the inside out.
Back pain has become a recent rising concern in the United States. It is estimated that 50% of working adults have chronic back pain and it is the number one reason for missing work. In some point in our lives, 75-85% of us will experience back pain. Usually our back pain does not have a malicious cause such as arthritis, fracture, cancer or some other serious medical condition but is more mechanical or structural in nature. Looking for an “outside in” approach to the cause and treatment of their pain, Americans spend on average $50 billion a year on treatment, most of which do not address the cause of their pain and do not provide 100% relief. Unfortunately, pharmaceutical companies are now taking advantage of Americans struggling with back pain issues by presenting a relatively new drug called Humira. This drug is a very potent anti – inflammatory drug prescribed to people that have chronic inflammatory or auto-immune diseases. But this drug comes with a hefty price tag and an even heftier list of very dangerous side effects. An annual prescription of Humira comes with a $20,000 price tag and side effects include serious infections such as tuberculosis and hepatitis B, an increased risk of lymphoma and other cancers, an allergic reaction, nervous system problems, blood problems, heart failure, liver problems, lupus, and psoriasis – this is the short list!
Now, I’m not sure about you, but with a price tag of $20,000 + and a terrifying list of side effects, I would rather just suffer with back pain. However, many people are simply looking for a quick fix so they can return to their activities of daily living. And unfortunately that’s when many will turn to painkillers. Back pain is the number one reason adults get addicted to pain killers. Addiction is a terrible side effect of these drugs and not to mention, they do not address the cause of the problem but simply act to cover the symptom. Pharmaceutical drug overdoses now rank second (motor vehicle accidents are number one) in the leading causes of accidental death in the United States and took a drastic increase last year as the number skyrocketed to 13,800 deaths last year, now making prescription drug overdose the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S.
THERE IS A BETTER WAY! Please friends, let’s change these numbers. There is a better way to end your pain and suffering, there is a better way to grow your health! Being a chiropractor, I do not simply look to mask or cover up your symptoms and health challenges, I want to find out why you have the problems to begin with! I have an “inside out” approach when it comes to your health and the health of your family. As a doctor of chiropractic, I look to your nervous system for the cause of the problem. Now, bear with me for a minute as I walk you through this. So, we were all equipped at conception with this amazing innate potential to be able to heal ourselves. That potential lies in our brain, the master control center of your entire body. I’m sure you would agree with me when I say that our brain controls every single aspect of our life. Our heart beating right now, our lungs breathing, your stomach digesting your last meal etc… EVERY SINGLE CELL, ORGAN, TISSUE in your body is controlled by your brain! How Your brain sends all of it’s messages down your spinal cord and out to all parts of your body via nerves. So then where do I fit in? Well, I adjust the bones, vertebra, in your spine because your spine protects your spinal cord and the nerves that exit it. So, at some point in your life you’ve had a car accident, a fall, a trauma, broken bone, played sports, had an injury etc… the small bones in your spine can shift as a result and begin to put pressure on your spinal cord and nerves. So now you can imagine that this will of course cause pain, but it can also affect the way your body functions which can lead to poor health.
So here is where I lay it out for you. You have pain, your health isn’t where you want and you keep doing the same thing over and over and over and seem to never get any relief or any answers. If you want to continue on this downward spiral, then by all means keep doing what you’re doing. But, if you are sick and tired of being sick and tired and looking to try something different, then THIS is where to start and NOW is the time. Choose Chiropractic!
Let me lead you to better health! Call 770.786.2818 to schedule your spinal check up and to get started on the pathway to better health!
References “Simple Prevention and Treatment Strategies for Back Pain” www.mercola.com
