Top Myths 16 about Chiropractic Care

1) Chiropractors aren’t trusted by other healthcare professionals.

This might have been true about 80 years ago, but today, with tons of scientific evidence showing the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment, even The American College of Physicians updated their guidelines, stating that doctors should send patients to chiropractors before resorting to back or neck surgery or addicting pharmaceutical drugs.

2) Chiropractors aren’t REAL doctors.

This is perhaps the biggest myth that won’t die. No one would dream of telling a dentist that he wasn’t a real dentist because he didn’t perform surgery or a travel nurse that she wasn’t a real nurse because she wasn’t an LPN. Chiropractors are real doctors who are specialists in the neuromusculoskeletal aspect of the body. Is your primary care doctor less of a doctor because he’s not a brain surgeon?  The ACA notes that “Chiropractors are educated in nationally accredited, four-year doctoral graduate school programs through a curriculum that includes a minimum of 4,200 hours of classroom, laboratory and clinical internship, with the average DC program equivalent in classroom hours to allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical schools.”

3) Chiropractic adjustments are dangerous.

The facts are that, even the so-called “dangerous” neck adjustments are statistically safer than driving your car or even taking ibuprofen!  Chiropractic adjustments are far less invasive and safer than many other types of medicine or medical procedures.

4) Chiropractors are only good for treating back pain.

This is also an old rumor that just won’t die. Of course, chiropractors tend to work more with those who have back pain, but that is hardly the only disorder they treat. Chiropractic therapy can help with a variety of problems, from pregnancy to whiplash, fibromyalgia to tendonitis.

5) Children should not have adjustments.

While some people believe this, the truth is that children have been successfully treated by chiropractors since at least 1910. One look at online testimonials from parents will tell you that chiropractic is effective for children of all ages.  

6) Chiropractors can’t help with sciatica.

This is another old myth that needs to hit the road. Sciatica pain is caused by a compression of the sciatic nerve. The reasons as to why the sciatic nerve is feeling this compression are multiple. What works for one person’s sciatica does not work for another person. While some patients feel almost immediate relief after one chiropractic treatment, other people take several weeks and treatments. It will all depend on the root cause. However, chiropractic care is extremely effective in this area. You can discover more about what chiropractic can do for sciatica, as well as it’s effectiveness, in this article.

7) Adjustments are painful.

This is absolute nonsense. Anyone who has ever had an adjustment knows how good they feel! There is an instant sense of relief and a release of pressure!  Occasionally, people feel a bit sore the next day, but it certainly isn’t painful. You can read more about what adjustments actually feel like in this article.

8) Chiropractors just crack backs, something you can do yourself.

This is another myth. Chiropractors don’t actually “crack” anything. That description comes from the noise joints make when a build up of gas escapes from them. Similar to the pop sound you hear when opening a bottle of soda. While it’s true that you can probably “crack” your own back, it’s certainly not the same as finding the proper subluxation and having the chiropractor put the joint back into proper alignment. If you notice, most people who crack their backs or necks continually need to do so– often several times each day- to find relief. This isn’t even close to what a chiropractor does and shouldn’t even be a comparison!

9) Once you start with a chiropractor, you have to continue going for years or the rest of your life.

This myth is often stated in one of two ways; either it’s years or the rest of your life. The reality is that, for some conditions, it’s true that chiropractic will be a long-term engagement if there is no cure and the patient will need long term care and/or pain management. For nearly everyone else, once your body has healed, you won’t need to return to the chiropractor unless you wish to. Some patients love the way regular chiropractic adjustments and massages make them feel so they go on a regular basis. There is no “requirement” or addictive substance involved in chiropractic treatment, so, no, you won’t have to go “for the rest of your life.”

10) Chiropractic is expensive.

Depending on where you live, prices will vary considerably, but generally speaking, chiropractic is much more affordable than conventional care. This type of therapy is often covered by insurance and when you consider that many people discover that they can avoid surgery and lengthy amounts of time off from work, it’s easy to see why chiropractic is the affordable choice. If you don’t have insurance that covers chiropractic, you will want to read this article.

11) There is no science to back up chiropractic claims.

This myth might have been true 100 years ago, but no longer. There are hundreds of scientific studies showing that chiropractic is effective. Check out our list of reasons to see a chiropractor in the article below. Each one has a listing with scientific evidence of its effectiveness.

12) Chiropractors can’t help strains or sprains. Those just take time.

This is another old wives’ tale that isn’t true. While the words strains and sprains are often used interchangeably, they aren’t exactly the same thing, however, regardless of which one you have, chiropractic can not only help to relieve the pain, but it can cut way back on the amount of time it takes the affected area to heal. How quickly can chiropractic help that strain or sprain to heal? That will depend on many factors. An 80-year old diabetic will take much longer to heal than a 25-year old athlete. You can read more about sprains, strains, and chiropractic here.

13) Your primary care physician or an M.D. must refer you to a chiropractor.

This is an outdated statement. While this used to be true, unless it is a requirement from your insurance company, federal law says you can see a chiropractor first and you don’t need a referral.

14) Chiropractors will do X-rays whether you need one or not.

The truth is that any doctor, whether they are a chiropractor or not, who does unnecessary x-rays is not a true professional. Your chiropractor will only order imaging tests if the need is there.

15) Chiropractors claim that adjustments can cure anything.

This is 100 percent false. If you find a chiropractor who claims they can cure anything and everything, run for the hills! Chiropractic can help many people, but it is not a magic cure-all!

16) Chiropractors won’t do anything that will really help you; otherwise, they won’t make any money.

This false statement is often applied to other health care professionals and the pharmaceutical companies as well. Conspiracy theorists love to tout this statement, but they never have any facts to back it up. Of course, chiropractors need to charge for their services, no one wants to work for free, but like all true health care professionals, their main satisfaction and reason for getting into medicine to begin with stems from a genuine desire to help people. It’s important to remember that persons who suffer from incurable health problems are only able to have their health and pain levels managed. This doesn’t mean that doctors, prescription drug companies, and chiropractors are only in it “for the money.”