What can chiropractors help with?

I've been getting this question a lot lately:
Do chiropractors only help with back and neck pain?

Chiropractors are known for being the go-to for all kinds of low back and neck pain. Unfortunately, this is usually all we are associated with. 

I will start off by saying there is not much research supporting chiropractic treatment for conditions other than back and neck pain, but there is a good reason for this: In order for something to be accepted as an effective treatment in the medical community it has to be extensively researched, published, and reviewed by others - and recreated, if necessary, with a high level of accuracy. This is where the first issue arises. Every research topic needs a sample population of decent size. It is not easy finding a large group of people who are all suffering from the same thing. Some "groups" are relatively easy to find such as those with high blood pressure or migraines for example (of which there is research out there on) but many are not.

Now, for argument's sake, lets say a perfect group has been put together. This group has to be divided into one that receives treatment and one that does not. As far as research goes, the ideal situation is a double blind study where neither the patients or the doctors know what group they are in. From a chiropractic standpoint, the doctor will always know if hes treating a patient or not - its not like handing them a pill which could or could not be real. From the patient's side, to date, there is no placebo for receiving an adjustment. If you have ever been to a chiropractor, you understand an adjustment can't be faked. Considering this, the "gold standard" of a double blind study is not possible at this time, so most research out is in the form of a case study. Case studies are basically narratives from a doctor saying "this is what that patient had, this is what I did, and this is what happened." A study this small is not considered enough evidence to prove the connection of "this helped that," no matter how many individual doctors are having the same results - it isn't happening in a controlled environment.

Since chiropractors treat subluxations, we have adapted to say "chiropractic can help with X if a subluxation is the cause." 

Back to the main question, I will only comment on what I have personally seen in my experience. 

I have seen chiropractic help with - back pain, neck pain, vision problems, balance issues, migraines, headaches, knee pain, ankle pain, shoulder pain, frozen shoulder, wrist pain, ear infections, carpal tunnel, arm hand or leg tingling or numbness, muscle weakness, asthma, irregular heart beats,  posture changes, increased energy, menstrual cramps, increased flexibility, and increased ranges of motion. 

Chiropractic may help with these and much much more- if the main issue behind it is a subluxation. If you are having any of these issues or others and are curious, go see a chiropractor and discuss it. I know most chiropractors don't charge for a consultation - The worst thing that could happen is your problem is still there. And the best?...

I hope this helped!

Dr. Andrew Snyder D.C.

Keep sending your questions to me either in the comments section, through or facebook page (snyder chiropractic of woodbury), our webpage www.snyderchiropracticofwoodbury.com, or e-mail them to me at DrAndrewSnyder@gmail.com!