When Should I Use Traditional Medical Care Versus Chiropractic Care?

If you are trying to decide between traditional medical care and chiropractic care, your choices can seem overwhelming. Although traditional medical care and chiropractic care may at first seem to be at odds with one another, they each have an important role to play in treatment. Some conditions may be more safely and effectively treated by chiropractic care, while you may need traditional medical care to overcome others.

As a licensed spine management physician and practicing chiropractor in Virginia for more than 20 years, I have extensive experience helping my patients decide on the best option to achieve their care goals. In this article, I will help you learn about when traditional medical care may be a more appropriate option than chiropractic treatment.

In addition, I have written a free ebook, Live Healthy and Thrive, which can help you understand the conditions for which chiropractic care and other whole health choices can benefit you.

FAQ’s

What Spinal Conditions Need Traditional Medical Care?

However, pain can also be caused by anatomical problems. If the source of your spinal problem is anatomical, like a tumor, fracture or severe herniated disc, you should avoid chiropractic care and consider traditional medical care. Other conditions in which chiropractic care might not be appropriate include:

• At increased risk for stroke
• Severe osteoporosis
• Fracture, broken, or dislocated bones in the spine
• Bone tumors
• Infection in the spine
• Severe arthritis
• Severely herniated disc or sequestered disc fragment
• Signs of severe spinal cord compression or myelopathy
• Loss of bowel and bladder control (cauda equina syndrome)
• Aneurysm
• Cancer in the spine
• Other anatomical/pathological severe spine conditions
• Neurological deficits such as motor weakness, abnormal reflexes, or sensory nerve deprivation
• Pathological reflexes
• Bone abnormalities in the upper neck
• MRI with visible spinal cord or central canal compression
• Surgical hardware in your spine
• No clear diagnosis of a mechanical spine problem