In just a moment I’m going to tell you some very interesting information about Chiropractic that most people do not know – but more importantly – what it can do for you and how it might even change your life.
This is really good stuff… especially if you have back pain now or have ever had back pain in the past. But first, there is something else you should know about. I think you’ll really like it.
Did you know that the use of Aspirin dates all the way back to around 400 B.C.? It’s true. The father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, who lived sometime between 460 B.C. and 377 B.C., left records of pain treatments. And these historical records included the use of a power from the bark of the willow tree to treat fever, headache and various pains.
It wasn’t until 1829 that scientist started figuring out what was going on. That’s when they discovered a compound called salicin in the willow plant was responsible for the pain relief.
In that same year, scientists were able to turn salicin into salicylic acid. The problem was that salicylic acid was very rough on the stomach and mouth… which limited its use. Then in 1853 a German scientist named Gerhardt buffered it. Although it worked, it was time consuming and Gerhardt stopped working on it because he didn’t think it was worth it.
OOOOPS!
Because in 1897 a German pharmacist working for a German pharmaceutical company Bayer, starts looking for a solution for his fathers rheumatism. His name is Felix Hoffmann and he “re-discovers” Gerhardt’s work and in 1899 patents a “new” pain reliever under the name aspirin.
As a quick and interesting side note: During that same month, Hoffmann synthesizes heroin by accident. His discovery of heroin obviously didn’t end up working out as well as aspirin! But one of the truly remarkable things about all this is:
Scientists did not have a clue how aspirin worked until 1971. In that year, John Vane theorized how it worked for which he was awarded a Nobel prize in 1982.
Today over 70 million pounds of aspirin are produced annually all over the world, making it the world's most widely used drug… and scientists still theorize about the exact mechanisms of aspirin.
So what’s all this have to do with
Chiropractic and your back pain?
Here’s what: Believe it or not – Chiropractic and aspirin have many things in common.
First -- they can both be traced WAY back in history.
In fact, Hippocrates, who used a form of aspirin back in 400 B.C., also used a form of spinal manipulation. And so did ancient Egyptians and many other cultures.
But it was not until 1895 that D.D. Palmer invented “Chiropractic.” Chiropractic was new and different because Palmer theorized the nervous system controlled every function of the body and Chiropractic adjustments (specific spinal manipulations) removed interference to blocked or pinched nerves. This, in turn, not only relieved pain… it helped the entire body function better and heal from all sorts of illnesses and diseases.
Just like the willow leaf and eventually aspirin, spinal manipulation got results and became very popular… but the mechanisms were not understood.
But here’s where Chiropractic & Aspirin differ –
in a very big way…
Doctors and scientists had no clue how aspirin worked – but it was hailed by the medical community as a wonder drug and mass-produced.
Doctors and scientists were not sure how Chiropractic worked – so it was branded unscientific and quackery.
Seems a little unfair – don’t you think?
Thank goodness in many areas, research has finally caught up with Chiropractic!
For example, Chiropractic’s ability to help relieve back pain is well researched. It is a safe, effective and cost-effective way to relieve back pain.
How Does Chiropractic Work?...FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK:
Many times when you have back pain it is caused by a spinal joint sprain – or “subluxation.” Ligaments hold two bones together to form a joint and a sprain occurs when a ligament is injured by over stretching it.
This can happen due to small micro traumas over several years or one acute event like a car accident, sports injury or slip and fall. When the ligament becomes stretched and injured joints do not function properly and delicate nerve fibers can be injured.
Over time, even if untreated, pain can go away even though the spinal joint is not functioning properly. This can lead to flare-ups in the future and degeneration as joint moves improperly and wears out. This is why doing almost nothing – like bending over to pick up a pencil – can cause severe back pain.
Chiropractic adjustments and treatments are designed to normalize spinal motion as much as possible. This allows the spinal joints to heal better.
Here’s a simple way to look at it:
If you broke your arm and didn’t get the bone set properly – it would heal out of place and crooked. The pain might go away in the short term – but there would most likely be big problems in the future. The best thing to do is put everything in place and then let it heal properly.
Chiropractors are experts at getting your spinal bones and joints “in place” and working properly so they can heal correctly.
Chiropractors are also experts at keeping spines functioning properly to minimize future problems – much like periodic Dental check-ups and cleaning prevent tooth decay and loss down the road.
So, if you have back pain, you might want to try something that has a history starting in 400 B.C. with the father of medicine – Hippocrates – and has been practiced, improved and proven to help back pain.
If you do, just give us a call at 480-844-7900 and we will help you in any way that we can; conservatively and affordably!
I hope you found this information interesting and helpful.
Sincerely,
Dr. G. Craig Godard
