WHEN IS IT TIME TO SEE A ‘SPINE SPECIALIST’? DR. BRAADT’S WELLNESS COLUMN
I was at a social event recently and was approached by a woman who knew I was a chiropractor. She told me she was seeing a “spine specialist” for her long-standing back and leg pain. I asked her how that was going. “You know,” she said, “I have stenosis, too.” I asked her again how that was going. “Well, I’ve had X-rays, three MRIs over the past several years, several drugs that keep changing, several months of PT exercises, and I’ve just had my third epidural injection this year, and my next step is probably surgery,” she replied. So, I asked her again how that was going. “Oh, I’m in pain all the time,” she admitted. I suggested that it might be a good idea to get a chiropractic opinion. “Oh no,” she replied. “It’s too late for me, and besides, I really like my ‘spine specialist.’” Over the past 40 years, I’ve heard some incredible stories of the different ways people have tried to get rid of their pain. I’m happy to say I’ve helped thousands of people get out of pain, some with up to four failed surgeries, chronic drug dependence, multiple injections, disability, and multiple attempts to get well. So, when is it time to see a spine specialist? First, here’s a little history on our health care system. Most Americans have been conditioned to see their family doctor when they have back pain. Drug therapy is the first option. If that fails, they are then referred to physical medicine or orthopedics. That means X-rays, physical therapy exercises, MRIs, injections to the spine, and eventual surgery. Historically, chiropractic care has been outside this health care model. Have you ever recommended chiropractic care to someone and got a negative response? Here’s why. In the 1960s, the AMA (American Medical Association) tried to absorb all therapies not related to drugs and surgery, like DOs (osteopathic doctors), or eradicate them, like chiropractic. For nearly a century, they launched a relentless plan of containment and elimination against chiropractic. It was a trade war based on decreasing competition for financial reasons rather than to protect
the public from unethical practitioners. Later, federal courts in Chicago stopped this campaign and found the AMA guilty of the most flagrant antitrust violations ever seen. However, some of this bad press stuck. Today, chiropractic is the third largest health care profession in the country behind medicine and dentistry. The AMA printed in its journal that chiropractic is probably the best initial treatment for spinal pain. It’s been proven to be less expensive, safer, and more effective, with a higher degree of patient satisfaction than other therapies. Hospitals are now opening chiropractic departments. Most spinal pain is MECHANICAL in nature, not CHEMICAL. Look at people. They limp. They’re crooked. They can’t bend. They can’t get out of bed in the morning. They’ve stopped doing what they like because they can’t move like they used to. They feel old. This is not due to a lack of drugs in their blood stream; it’s “bones out of place” (subluxation) affecting their spine, hips, knees, shoulders, wrists, feet, etc. Unless the mechanics are corrected, how can they get well? When is it time to see a chiropractic spine specialist? FIRST! Please share your story with your family, friends, and coworkers and refer them to our office for help. They need to know what to do before it’s “too late.” Thank you for trusting me with your care and following my recommended course of treatment. My first goal is to relieve your pain, correct your condition, and then maintain your health into the future. My second goal is to address other health problems you may have such as digestive issues, difficulty sleeping, etc. And my third goal is to help you create a healthy lifestyle through education so you’re not setting yourself up for the last part of your life in pain or disabled. It’s a partnership, and I’m always happy to help as needed. –Dr. Paul Braadt
CedarCrestChiropractic.com
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610-776-2005
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