(c) Michael J. Summerville

Many people think of chiropractors as merely back doctors. In reality, the chiropractic profession is built on the belief that spinal alignment affects the health of the whole body. Therefore, your chiropractor might treat your spine in order to bring about a variety of health benefits, including back health.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, about 18 million adults and 2 million children go to a chiropractor. While it's true that most visits are for common back conditions and injuries, here's an example of the chiropractic view of health in an ongoing research effort:

Researchers at the University of Chicago gave a particular type of chiropractic called NUCCA to patients taking medicine for their high blood pressure. NUCCA chiropractic specializes in adjusting only the top of the neck. They found a significant decrease in the amount of medication the patients needed after the manipulation. More studies on this connection are expected.

Chiropractic is considered to be a CAM therapy and so it takes your whole being into consideration. Is it right for you?

Photo: Kameleon007

The thought of post-Halloween back pain may conjure images of taking the costumes back up to the attic or lugging heavy bags of candy. But let's not forget the extra weight you may be carrying from having eaten those Halloween treats! With the holidays approaching, be forewarned that back pain a very common problem for overweight people. Carrying extra pounds can increase your risk for developing several back disorders.

If you are a spine surgeon or a surgical nurse specializing in spine who likes to write, About.com has an opportunity for you! As an About.com Contributing Writer, you will work with me to cover the sub-topic of spinal procedures and surgeries. You'll be responsible for producing about 15 short articles per month, and you can also write more than the minimum, if you want.

If you are interested in applying or learning more, please email your RESUME and a WRITING SAMPLE -- both IN THE BODY OF AN EMAIL -- to contributingwriters@about.com. Put the "Back and Neck Pain" in the subject line of the email. Good luck!

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Are you pregnant with low back pain? One type of low back pain that's very common during childbearing is sacral pain. Experts think that when low back pain in this area begins during pregnancy, chances are you may be experiencing it long after your baby is born. About 10% of pregnant women with low back pain continue to experience disabling pain two years after delivery.

A new study, published in Spine found that a corticosteroid injection to the lowest part of the pelvis (called the ischial spine) relieved pain for 4 weeks in 36 women who had chronic pain that had begun while they were pregnant. The women made pain drawings and filled in visual analog scales to rate the intensity, frequency and location of their pain, and the researchers measured the differences in their marks before and after the injections. The women also had a clinical exam by both a physical therapist and a doctor.

_{Source:
Torstensson, T., MSc, RPT, Lingren, A., RPT, Kristiansson, P, MD, PhD. Corticosteroid Injection Treatment to the Ischiadic Spine Reduced Pain in Women with Long-Lasting Sacral Low Back Pain with Onset During Pregnancy. Spine. 2009.}

| Sacrum | Back Pain | Visual Analog Scale - VAS |

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