Do you need to see a chiropractor? Chiropractic treatment helps ease joint and muscle pains, especially in the back and neck.
There are fears that the treatment which involves neck manipulation may cause harm, however, some research suggests that seeing a chiropractor will help you realise benefits similar to physical therapy or medication.
Thomas Corfmat who runs a chiropractic practice in Nairobi’s Lavington says only minimal effects are experienced when one undergoes neck manipulation.
“When we start aligning the body, the patient can experience a bit of muscle soreness and tension. However, the effects are mild and ease within 24 or 48 hours,” he says.
So when should you see a chiropractor and when do you see a physiotherapist?
“Physiotherapists work on the muscles and tendons while chiropractors work a bit more on the joints and the nervous system,” he says.
To know whether to go to a chiropractor or a physiotherapist, Mr Corfmat says, “When you have severe pain, then you should probably go to a chiropractor. However, if you feel tightness or soreness in the muscles then a physiotherapist can work on that.”
Mr Corfmat opted for chiropractic therapy when he got a back sports injury that robbed him of a chance to pursue his dream of becoming an army pilot.
After five sessions with a chiropractor, he says, he got healed and with that came his newfound passion to become a chiropractor.
While he acknowledges that back and neck pains can be caused by a traumatic injury, the chiropractor who has been doing body manipulation therapies for 10 years now, says a majority of the people he sees have back and neck pains caused by bad posture.
“It is linked to how you sit, stand, drive, and bend. On top of that if you work in an office you may be vulnerable to muscle aches. Neck pains are also caused by slouching when with the phone, laptop, and while reading. This triggers headaches. Stress can also result in neck pain,” he says.
“About 50 percent of my patients come in with lower back pain and 30 percent have neck and shoulder pains,” he adds.
Mr Corfmat is among the few certified chiropractors in Kenya, having been licensed by the Franco-European Institute of Chiropractic in Paris.
Rising demand
At his Polycare Wellness Centre in Nairobi’s Lavington, he sees about 12 to 15 patients a day. This is an increase from when he started, which he attributes to more patients seeking alternative medicine.
“Most people are fed up with taking medicines all the time. So they go out looking for alternative forms of medication including chiropractic,” he says.
Chiropractic is a relatively new concept in Africa and there is not much awareness of what exactly chiropractors do, Verusha Seethal, a chiropractor in Nairobi says.
“There are not many chiropractors in Kenya. So the few people who understand the importance of chiropractors flock to the few chiropractic clinics in the country,” she says.
Ms Seethal has been in the field for 13 years now, having studied chiropathy at the Durban University of Technology, one of the only two higher learning institutions offering chiropathy education in Africa. Now she runs the Chiropractic and Physiotherapy Health Centre in Nairobi.
Most of her patients are in formal jobs and in their 50s and 60s.
“Some of my patients are those who work in the airline industry and the banking sector as these people spend most of their time either seated or standing. The rest are in their 50s and 60s,” she says.
On how many sessions one requires, Ms Seethal says that she can have six or seven sessions with a patient before giving a clean bill of health.
“For the first month, I can have two sessions with them every week, then depending on their progress the number of sessions gradually decreases to one session every three months,” she says.
Mr Corfmat says it all depends on the severity of your pain.
“If you wait too long with the pain before seeing a doctor, the longer your healing period may be and the more the number of sessions you will need with your chiropractor,” he says.
Who is ineligible
However, not everyone can do chiropractic manipulations. Ms Seethal cautions patients suffering from arthritis, spondylitis, and lupus. Also, those with osteoporosis, bone infection or tumours or fractures in the spine, and nerve disorders, should not undergo neck manipulation.
The two specialists agree that chiropractors and physiotherapists complement each other and that is why they work with a team of physiotherapists.
Chiropractors utilise many treatment options including using a thin needle to release muscle tightness and reduce pain, heat therapy, stretching, and neck adjustments/ neck manipulation which involve the adjustment of the spine. Spinal manipulation helps restore mobility, thereby alleviating pain and muscle tightness.
“Surgery is the last weapon for your muscles after all else has failed,” says Mr Corfmat.
How much does a chiropractic session cost?
“The cost of chiropractic care varies depending on the treatments, but insurance companies cover at least part of the cost of chiropractic care. In Nairobi, the cost can range from Sh3,000 to over Sh10,000,” Mr Corfmat tells the BDLife.
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