The next time you hurt your back, don’t reach for the ibuprofen or ask for a prescription painkiller.  A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concludes you can get on your feet again with the simple, effective, drug-free therapy of spinal manipulation. In chiropractic spinal manipulation therapy, a doctor of chiropractic applies specific forces to your spine to align your vertebrae correctly, thereby improving mobility and reducing pain.  In this study, patients with less than six weeks occurrence of low-back pain used a 100-point scale to rate their pain.  Patients treated with spinal manipulation felt that their pain improved by an average of 10 points. In addition, they moved through their day with less overall pain than people who didn’t receive the therapy.

Ditch the Drugs
Recent guidelines from the American College of Physicians suggest that spinal manipulation and other therapies like acupuncture and massage should be tried before over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or naproxen. And, with their risk of addiction, prescription painkillers are also strongly discouraged. While spinal manipulation is safe and effective, there is no evidence it has any serious adverse effects. Minor side effects, like soreness, are generally transient.