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Shortcomings of Traditional Medicine

Physical therapy and pain medication are the most commonly used treatments that are prescribed. Although these maybe helpful in their own way, research has shown they are not the most appropriate course of action.

I use physical therapy methods as a part of a well thought out treatment plan and I do not have any problem with stretches and exercises used in an appropriate way. The problem lay’s with the medication.

Some of the common medications used include Celebrex and Vioxx. Both of which have had controversy surrounding their use.

Ibuprofen, Advil, Children's Advil/Motrin, Medipren, Motrin, Nuprin, PediaCare Fever, etc. Acetaminophen, Tylenol and Others
Naproxen, Naprosyn, Naprelan, Anaprox, Aleve Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen, Vicodin, Vicodin ES, Anexsia, Lorcet, Lorcet Plus, Norco

In emergency rooms around the country, common advice is to go home, apply an ice pack, take anti-inflammatory medication, and to consult with the family doctor if symptoms persist beyond two weeks. Unfortunately, this advice is probably responsible for at least some of the more than 30% of whiplash victims who never fully recover or the 10% or more who become disabled. Rational therapeutic intervention during that initial two weeks can greatly reduce the likelihood of long-term symptoms.

A Recent Comparison of Medicine, Acupuncture, and Chiropractic care

Comparing, in a randomized trial, medication (Celebrex, Vioxx, or paracetamol) to acupuncture and spinal manipulation over the course of 9 weeks in persons with chronic spinal pain (neck to low back pain included), the authors demonstrated a rather profound superiority in chiropractic spinal manipulation. The exception was for neck pain in which acupuncture was found to be superior on the basis of Neck Disability Scores. The average period of chronicity was 4.5 years in the medicine group; 6.4 years in the acupuncture group; and 8.3 years in the chiropractic group. After 9 weeks of care, spinal manipulation had achieved asymptomatic status in 27%, compared to 9.4% for acupuncture and only 5% for medicine. Patients were allowed to change therapy groups if they perceived a lack of effectiveness in their current treatment group. Over the course of the 9 weeks, nine from the medical group, five from the acupuncture group, and two from the chiropractic group changed treatment types.