Crazy Sexy Life

By Luke Piretti

I always get an interesting reaction when people find out I am a Chiropractor. People want to ask me about their low back pain, or ask me what a chiropractor does. They want to know how on earth I chose this profession. It is understandable, as chiropractic seems to be everywhere: there are characters on TV who play chiropractors, Super Bowl athletes who fly their Chiropractor in from out of town to help them heal before the big game, or somebody’s aunt who went for headaches that are no longer a problem.

I understand these questions because I was in their shoes. Growing up as an athlete who was always in some sort of pain, my first trip to the Chiropractor left me a bit surprised. This was because I, like many people, thought that Chiropractors dealt exclusively with back pain. As I walked into the office for my first appointment I was in pain, and not really holding out much hope—it was, in all honesty, a last resort. Thankfully over the next few months I began to understand that chiropractors aren’t simply “back doctors” but are effective healers who can help the body regain optimum health through natural means. I actually became a Chiropractor because I realized that many people live their lives in discomfort and could benefit from a deeper understanding of the human body and what it needs to function properly. Medication is great, but people aren’t in pain because of a lack of Tylenol in their system. What follows is a brief summary of what Chiropractors do and common questions that people have.

Chiropractic is a profession that’s been around for over 115 years and, contrary to popular belief, is actually a Western, not Eastern, medicine. It’s a discipline that encourages people of all ages to work on lifestyle changes to improve their health. The core belief of Chiropractors is very similar to the “new age” medical doctors of today who preach diet, cleansing and lifestyle as a first line of defense. Then, if needed, proceed with more invasive drugs and surgery. The irony is that until the wellness revolution of recent years many people thought the natural approach that chiropractors spoke of was behind the times. Even today, you won’t see many Chiropractors talking about wellness care on Oprah, even though we’ve been preaching this message for over 100 years. Is it a bit frustrating? Yes, but as is true with most things, if we don’t understand something we are naturally a bit fearful of it. I hear many myths and untruths in my office, so I’ll set the record straight.

Are Chiropractors doctors?
Chiropractors must undergo 4 years of undergraduate training, 4 more years of doctoral training, 4 rounds of national board exams and then state board exams. By the time their education has been completed, they are specialists in Neuromusculoskeletal (nerve, muscle, or bone) problems. It’s also important to remember that the definition of a doctor is actually teacher, and Chiropractors have been teaching people about the importance of proper posture, nutrition, vitamins, exercise, preventative medicine and stress reduction for over 100 years—before these things were popular in mainstream media. What we lack in prescription pads we make up for in improving the structure and function of the body naturally. This has made us leaders in the wellness and preventative care movement. Are there some bad Chiropractors out there? There sure are, just as there are bad medical doctors, lawyers, carpenters, etc. The key is to find one with whom you feel comfortable.

Chiropractors only treat back pain.
Many people associate Chiropractors with back pain, but the term Chiropractic actually means “done by hand.” This means that Chiropractors don’t just deal with back pain but all sorts of ailments and problems, from head to toe, without drugs or surgery. This includes everything from TMJ pain to plantar fasciitis and from headaches to hip pain. If it hurts then they probably deal with it, whether it’s a joint, muscle or nerve. Chiropractic care doesn’t stop at pain, since they’re trained extensively in nutrition and exercise. Many people come for nutritional counseling, weight loss, cleansing, strength training programs and alternative ways to fight their ailments. The profession relates expertise in all aspects of preventative and wellness care. Does it cure everything? Of course not, but in many instances, it is a good place to start.

I heard that if I go to a Chiropractor, I have to keep going forever.
I have three goals to accomplish with every patient: work on correcting the problem, give the patient exercises and stretches to stay pain free, and teach the patient to notice signs when they need to come in for a follow-up appointment. If I accomplish these three goals, then most people won’t need my help all that often. Some problems are so severe that they warrant treatment throughout life, but the majority of issues can be taken care of relatively quickly. I believe that if a person needs to come for follow-up appointments for the rest of their life, then the Chiropractor may be missing something. The best Chiropractors will make sure that the three goals mentioned earlier are achieved, and then, if a tune-up is needed in the future, we are here to help.

It is a routine occurrence that I’ll have someone come in saying that they have tried every other doctor they could think of and I’m their last hope. This is a challenge and an enjoyment because the vast majority of people I see will experience relief in a comfortable time frame. Recently I had a woman who had crippling headaches as she dealt with cancer treatment—only to be pain-free just two weeks into treatment. There is great research on this topic from Duke University, but that isn’t what brought her in. She figured nothing else had worked, so she would give it a try. My goal is to make sure people see more of the research, hear more of the success stories, and then can make an informed decision to seek chiropractic care. They won’t have to wait until everything else fails; instead, they can stop needlessly suffering much more quickly. The next time you feel any sort of pain, weakness, or discomfort you may want to try out your local Chiropractor… my guess is that you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Dr. Luke Piretti is part of a Chiropractic group in Boston, MA. He specializes in pain management, nutritional therapy and cleansing programs. For more information, visit his website.

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