Can a Chiropractor Help With Joint Pain
Joint pain affects millions of people worldwide, and many are searching for effective ways to manage it. One option that has gained significant attention is chiropractic care. But can a chiropractor actually help with joint pain? The answer is yes, and the science behind how they do it is quite fascinating.
Understanding How Chiropractic Adjustments Work
When you experience joint pain, it often stems from problems in what experts call the neuromusculoskeletal system. This system includes the network of nerves, muscles, and joints that work together to enable movement and allow your body to communicate effectively[3]. When this system becomes disrupted, inflammation and pain can develop. What makes this worse is that your body often compensates for the pain by changing how you move, which can strain other parts of your body and create additional problems.
Chiropractors address joint pain by using adjustments to restore proper movement and function to affected joints. When a chiropractor performs an adjustment, they are doing much more than simply moving a joint back into place. The adjustment influences multiple systems in your body simultaneously[1]. Research shows that spinal manipulation can increase your pain tolerance thresholds and actually alter how your central nervous system processes pain signals[1]. This means your body becomes better equipped to handle discomfort naturally.
The Nervous System Connection
One of the most important aspects of chiropractic care is how it affects your nervous system. When joints become misaligned or restricted in their movement, they can irritate nearby nerves. This nerve irritation contributes significantly to pain and dysfunction. When a chiropractor restores proper joint movement through adjustments, they reduce this nerve irritation and help restore the normal communication between your joints, muscles, and brain[1].
Studies have shown that spinal manipulative therapy can change the activity of sensory nerves and affect motor output, which helps explain why patients often experience improvements in their range of motion and reductions in muscle spasms[1]. Additionally, research indicates that chiropractic adjustments may stimulate special proteins in your body called neurotrophins, including BDNF and NGF, which support nerve health and function[1]. These adjustments also influence your sympathetic nervous system and may affect hormonal pathways, suggesting that chiropractic care has effects throughout your entire body, not just at the site of pain[1].
How Adjustments Reduce Inflammation and Pain
When your joints are not moving properly, inflammation often develops in the surrounding tissues. Chiropractic adjustments help address this problem by restoring proper joint motion. Research suggests that spinal adjustments may help influence the inflammatory pathways in your body and enhance communication between your brain and body regarding movement and position[3]. By restoring proper spinal and joint motion, adjustments support your body’s natural ability to process sensory information and coordinate muscle activity more efficiently[3].
Over time, this improvement in communication helps maintain better balance in your body, reduces tension in muscles and tissues, and supports overall function[3]. This is why many patients report not just immediate pain relief but also long-term improvements in how they feel and function.
The Clinical Effectiveness of Chiropractic Care
When it comes to actual results, the evidence is quite compelling. Research comparing chiropractic care to other treatments shows that spinal manipulative therapy is at least as effective as other recommended therapies for certain types of low back and neck pain when compared to standard medical care or physical therapy[1]. A comprehensive analysis of 21 different clinical trials found that improvements in pain and disability were comparable between chiropractic treatment and recommended medical care for chronic low back pain[1].
One particularly important finding comes from the Manga Report, a major piece of chiropractic research published in 1993. This research examined the scientific evidence for chiropractic treatment and found that on the evidence, particularly the most scientifically valid clinical studies, spinal manipulation applied by chiropractors is shown to be more effective than alternative treatments for low back pain[2]. The report also noted that there is no clinical or case-control study that demonstrates that chiropractic spinal manipulation is unsafe in the treatment of low back pain, and that chiropractic manipulation is actually safer than medical management of low back pain[2].
The Comprehensive Approach to Joint Pain
It is important to understand that chiropractors typically do not rely on adjustments alone to treat joint pain. Instead, they use a comprehensive approach that combines multiple treatment methods. When a chiropractor treats a patient with joint pain, they first perform a comprehensive assessment to identify which spinal or joint segments have restricted movement, identify any muscular imbalances, and determine if there is any neural interference[1]. Using precise chiropractic techniques, the chiropractor then restores motion in those segments, thereby reducing nerve irritation and restoring the proper relationship between muscles and joints[1].
However, the treatment does not stop there. Following the adjustments, soft tissue therapies are often applied to help relax tight muscles and improve tissue quality[1]. Corrective exercise prescriptions are given to help strengthen weak muscles and improve stability[1]. Motion pattern retraining helps patients learn to move in ways that protect their joints and prevent future problems[1]. By enhancing joint mobility and normalizing nervous system input through this integrated approach, patients typically experience reductions in pain, improved range of motion, greater muscular stability, and faster functional return[1].
Cost Effectiveness and Practical Benefits
Beyond just pain relief, chiropractic care offers significant practical advantages. Multiple major studies have demonstrated that chiropractic care can reduce healthcare costs while facilitating faster patient recovery and fewer missed workdays[3]. One particularly striking finding comes from a Blue Cross Blue Shield study that reviewed 85,000 insurance members over two years. This study found that patients who started care with a chiropractor instead of a medical doctor spent nearly 40 percent less on back pain treatment[3]. Even after accounting for different health factors, chiropractic care remained the more affordable option[3].
For older adults dealing with chronic back pain, the benefits are especially clear. Researchers studying Medicare patients with chronic low back pain found that those who received spinal manipulation from chiropractors completed their treatment episodes sooner and spent less overall on healthcare than those who received only medical care[3]. These patients also required fewer follow-up visits and experienced shorter periods of disability[3]. The research suggested that chiropractic care may help older adults manage chronic pain more efficiently by addressing joint and spine function early, reducing the need for prolonged or repeated treatments[3].
The Workers Compensation Research Institute has also documented significant cost savings associated with chiropractic care[3]. These findings are important because they show that chiropractic treatment is not just effective at reducing pain but also practical and economical for patients and healthcare systems.
Patient Satisfaction and Long-Term Outcomes
Beyond the clinical effectiveness and cost savings, patients who
