What to Consider if Your Medical Doctor Tells You Not to Seek Chiropractic Care or Acupuncture

Chiropractor and Acupuncturist Chapel Hill, NC

Many patients choose to seek alternative medicine for various health care complaints or just for their wellbeing, including chiropractic care or acupuncture, in conjunction with medical care, or even solely. Chiropractors, Licensed Acupuncturists, and Medical Doctors can help patients make good decisions regarding provider choice when they operate in an integrative fashion within the limitations of their own expertise, comprehending the risks and benefits of each.

Chiropractors and Acupuncturists

Chiropractors and acupuncturists cannot prescribe medicine or perform surgery. They are not trained in these medical specialties. Legally, they cannot advise a patient against necessary medical care, as this is outside their scope of practice and could harm the patient. Generally, alternative medicine practitioners advise patients to inform their medical care providers that they receive chiropractic or acupuncture services to coordinate care.

Medical Doctors

On the other hand, it is legal for a medical doctor to advise a patient seeking chiropractic or acupuncture services against these treatments if the MD believes the treatment is unnecessary or harmful. This is especially true for patients seeking manual chiropractic adjustments if the patient has certain red flag conditions, such as spinal fractures, osteoporosis, sudden dizziness, internal injuries, significant neurological symptoms, fever, unexplained weight loss, pain that doesn’t improve with rest, spinal tumors, or risk factors for stroke. For the vast majority of patients without red-flag conditions, chiropractic care is likely safe. Also, patients can seek care from practitioners who provide gentle adjusting methods, such as Activator or SOT, to reduce the risks posed by red flag conditions.

Modern medicine favors an integrative approach, and practitioners understand that patients have autonomy over their healthcare decisions. Generally, medical practitioners should not discourage patients from seeking treatment from a chiropractor or acupuncturist, especially if that treatment is widely recognized as beneficial for the patient’s condition.

Common conditions that benefit from chiropractic care include:

• low back pain
• neck pain
• tension and migraine headaches
• sciatica
• whiplash and minor injuries
• frozen shoulder
• plantar fasciitis
• general joint stiffness

Common conditions that benefit from acupuncture care include:

• musculoskeletal pain in the neck, back, and shoulders, hips, limbs
• stress-related disorders such as bruxism, insomnia, and anxiety
• digestive disorders such as IBS and GERD
• hormonal disorders such as PMS, depression, and peri-menopausal complaints

In fact, medical doctors can and should refer to their alternative medicine counterparts, Doctors of Chiropractic and Licensed Acupuncturists, for many conditions, especially if medical care does not result in patient health improvement, and there is a good chance that alternative medicine can help. Likewise, if the medical treatment- drug or surgery- may result in harmful side effects, whereas the alternative treatment has far fewer negative effects, the medical practitioner should advise the patient to try conservative measures first. Some side effects from medical care can include: nausea, constipation, dry mouth, drowsiness, liver damage, heart attack, pain and vomiting, blood clots, nerve damage, addiction to opioids and other pain drugs, to name a few.

When patients feel free to seek the best care for themselves, they can feel better faster and more safely. Medical and alternative medicine practitioners each have a responsibility to understand the limitations of their own abilities at times and to help patients find the best care for them.

For quality chiropractic and acupuncture care, call the offices of Dr. Lisa Oskardmay in Chapel Hill at Acupractic Natural Healing Care Center 919-929-1400. Schedule online at acudocnc.com.