• 1 in 6 Americans lives with chronic pain.
• 80 percent of chronic pain sufferers are between the ages of 24 and 64.
• Over 75 million Americans are totally or partially disabled by serious pain, and more than 50 million suffer from chronic nonmalignant pain.
• Back pain, migraines, and arthritis alone account for actual medical costs of $40 billion annually.
• Chronic pain conditions cost an estimated $120 billion a year in medical costs and lost productivity.

Currently, the most common forms of medical treatment for chronic pain rely upon the use of powerful analgesic medications (painkillers), anti-inflammatories, and steroids, along with other medications to help manage the side effects of such strong drugs.  While these medications may seem to be the miracle that allows pain sufferers to function, they are not actually solving the problem, just masking it.  Medications may dull the symptoms, but they cannot cure the problem of chronic pain.

The chiropractic approach is to find the cause of the pain and treat it directly. This may involve realigning the spine or extremities by chiropractic adjustments, physiotherapy for the muscles and ligaments, rehabilitative exercises, or a combination of these. Sometimes the doctor of chiropractic will suggest exercises or activities to prevent a reoccurrence of the problem. This may provide a long term solution to the condition through prevention.


Sources:

Discover Wellness: How staying healthy can make you rich.
http://www.acatoday.org/pdf/back_pain.pdf