Times have certainly changed for chiropractors. One of the biggest (and best) changes that has taken place over the past several years is the increasing number of referrals between medical doctors and chiropractors. In the past, there was certainly some bitterness between the two professions, but the idea of working together has become more popular, and it is not uncommon to see chiropractors and medical doctors working together when treating patients, whether it is a common case of lower back or neck pain or a more complex condition. For most of my patients with headaches, neck pain or back pain, chiropractic care is all that is needed. But, for those cases that progress slowly or when a patient’s pain is so severe it prevents me from being able to adjust, I don’t hesitate to have the patient see their medical doctor. For many of these cases, a prescription for a pain killer and/or muscle relaxer is all that is needed to decrease their pain and muscle tension to a point where chiropractic treatment is comfortable and more effective. Other patients may need physical therapy to help strengthen certain muscle groups and stretch others.
On the other hand, I regularly receive referrals from medical doctors who have patients that have taken pain killers for an extended period of time only to have the pain return when the medication wears off. When pain is caused by increased inflammation and wear and tear from misalignments of joints, pain medication is only a short-term fix. After proper alignment of the joints is restored, the cause of the pain is gone.
This model of chiropractors working with medical doctors is still a relatively new and welcome change in healthcare. Recently, chiropractors have been integrated into VA hospitals and treatment facilities. I don’t know if someday chiropractors will be seeing patients in hospitals, but there is growing evidence that shows patients have better outcomes when there is a team effort with different approaches to solve their health problems.
