While chiropractic care has been used by hundreds of thousands of Canadians to treat back ailments, chiropractic alone is not the most efficient solution to spinal wellness. In fact, studies show that lower back and neck pain are not one-off problems that can be cured with a visit to a chiropractor but instead are chronic issues that will typically flare up again and again over many years. The solution for back pain involves both chiropractic care and cardiovascular and strengthening exercises.

Throughout our lives our bodies and minds require regular holistic maintenance. The consequences of a lackadaisical approach to either is—eventually—increased incidence and susceptibility to “illness”. In the case of our minds, a lack of physical and mental exercise is increasingly known to lead to, among other things, alzheimers.

In the case of the spine, poor physical conditioning leaves us with poor core and supporting muscles, which in turn leads to an increased likelihood of injury to the spine and nerves. And once we are injured, that same lack of muscular conditioning can increase healing time and many lead to further injury as well.

This tells us that it is crucial that people make exercise a regular part of their routine, and to make chiropractor-directed exercise a part of the healing process when flare ups do occur.

Chiropractic is too often used as a pain reliever rather than as a treatment program, which is its true and intended purpose. In the past, doctors would prescribe painkillers and bed rest to patients with chronic back pain. In most cases these are not solutions at all. In the long run bed rest and drugs tend to make the problems worse because rather than focusing on the problem they seek to avoid it.

From time to time it may be necessary to take some down time until you are able to actively manage your pain. However, a combination of chiropractor-directed exercise and chiropractic adjustment is usually the quickest route to long-term recovery. That’s why we encourage our patients to try to think of each visit to Rice Family Chiropractic as a step forward in the management of their pain rather than as a way to avoid the pain they have been experiencing.

At Rice Family Chiropractic we always take a holistic approach to your wellness. The mind and body are interconnected systems that must be fed, exercised and cared for as a whole and not as unrelated parts. Whether we are dealing with a sore neck or lower back pain, we will be interested in all the aspects of your health, including your diet, mental and physical wellbeing. If you have any questions about exercise programs that can help maintain wellness, please reach out to us via our contact page.