In the March 15th 2017 article in Time Magazine titled Common Pain Meds are Linked to a Higher Risk of Heart Problems, the author speaks of a new study published in the European Heart Journal – Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy that looked at the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs. It was found that 3376 people who suffered from heart attacks head taking NSAIDs at least 30 days before the event. It was found that by prescribing NSAIDs there was an increase risk of cardiac arrest by 31%.

Even the use of a common drug such as NSAIDs can have major health implications. More conservative measures should be taken before venturing down the path of medication or surgical intervention.

Chiropractic Care is a much more conservative measure to reduce pain. There are numerous studies pointing to the cost effectiveness and safety of Chiropractic Care. One such study from the Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapeutics from May 2007 suggest there is a decreased cost and utilization of Medical Services when Chiropractic Care is initiated first. It was demonstrated that there was a decrease of Hospital admissions by 60%, hospital stays by 59% comma and outpatient surgeries and procedures by 62%. It is also notable there was a decrease of in the costs related to the usage of Pharmaceuticals by 85%.

It is worth noting that the study regarding the use of NSAIDs noted the average treatment of 13 to 29 days. The author of the study notes that “previous Studies have observed enhanced cardiovascular risk associated with less than 30 days of treatment with NSAIDs.”

So how much is too much? My professional opinion is any amount is too much because everybody responds differently and in fact by taking any pain medication we are not addressing the underlying issue, rather turning off the alarm. However the author of the research article suggest taking no more than 500 milligrams of Naproxen or 1200 milligrams of ibuprofen per day, and also suggested that these drugs should not be sold in supermarkets or convenience stores where there is no professional to advise them on the proper use. But this is a current recommendation by one individual. As has happened with other studies these recommendations can be reversed or changed.

Address the underlying issue first before simply blocking pain. The premise of Chiropractic Care is that the body is a self-healing system. We can observe the body is quite smart in the fact that when in the mother’s womb the fetus develops without any assistance from the outside. The fetus only needs to be connected to the mother provide nutrients, oxygen, and to remove waste. However there is what we would describe as an innate intelligence or wisdom that runs the body. Without this life force we would not exist. Doctors of Chiropractic have acknowledge this since our inception. We also recognize that the nervous system is the master controlling system of the body. And it has also been observed through medical research that pressure upon a nerve root exiting the spine may lead to pathology or disease in the body. It is also understood that by reducing the pressure on the nerve root or roots exiting the spine communication is enhanced between brain and body as well as from body to brain.

Doctors of Chiropractic are the only Healthcare professionals trained for the detection and correction all of this spinal nerve root pressure called vertebral subluxation. For help in finding a local licensed Doctor of Chiropractic please feel free to contact our office for guidance.

Again, take conservative measures before more aggressive or risky treatments and utilize a safe and effective method of restoring health -Chiropractic is your answer.