Why Chiropractors Are an Essential Business

Is the COVID-19 pandemic a (literal) pain in the neck? Don’t go to the hospital!

Here’s three reasons why chiropractors have been deemed an essential business. Whether you’ve been treating your pain with medications or simply “powering through” it, you’re probably hesitant to do anything about it now. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities are at full capacity with patients who have been infected with COVID-19 and you’re trying to stay at home to help flatten the curve. You’d hate to increase the burden of doctors and nurses on the front lines or, worse yet, contract the disease yourself. But musculoskeletal pain doesn’t schedule itself with global pandemics in mind. So what can you do about it? The answer is simple: visit a chiropractor!  

Why Chiropractors Are Essential

On March 28, 2020, the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security issued a memo listing the types of businesses and services that were to remain operational throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. And listed among these “essential” businesses are chiropractors. The industries and services that made it onto this list have been deemed essential to “maintain[ing] the services and functions Americans depend on daily and that need to be able to operate resiliently during the COVID-19 pandemic response.” The fact that chiropractors have been included on this list is a testament to the amazing benefits they can provide. By seeing a chiropractor for pain rather than going to your doctor or hospital, you…

1. Treat Your Pain

Your changed routine might be the very reason you need a chiropractor. But, COVID or not, chiropractors should be your first line of defense against those unexpected aches and pains. Chiropractic care doesn’t just relieve your pain, it treats the underlying cause and allows your body to heal itself naturally. Misaligned joints, trigger points, nerve compression, and other conditions will not go away with a couple of Tylenols and a good night’s sleep. But by realigning the joints, releasing the trigger point, and relieving pressure on the nerve, the pain will be alleviated. What’s more: chiropractors can accomplish all of these without the harmful side effects of drugs.

2. Prevent the Spread of Disease

Chiropractors don’t provide treatment for COVID-19 symptoms, but this is precisely the point. Infectious diseases do not fall under the scope of chiropractic care and chiropractors are taking great pains to identify contagious patients and prevent them from infecting others. Remember, this virus has an unusually long incubation period—up to 14 days. Just because you feel “fine,” doesn’t mean that you haven’t been exposed or that you can’t spread the virus to someone else. By visiting a chiropractor instead of a hospital, emergency room, urgent care center, or your physician’s office, you’ll be avoiding areas where coronavirus infection is most likely. Not only does this lessen your chances of contracting COVID-19, it reduces the likelihood that you will spread the virus to others.

3. Take Burden Off Healthcare Workers

With more than 855,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. alone, it’s easy to understand how hospitals, urgent care centers, and other healthcare facilities can easily become overwhelmed. Emergency rooms are for exactly that: emergencies! Going to the hospital for chronic back pain instead of a chiropractor means more work for the already busy doctors and nurses and one less bed for a COVID patient. By now, you’re probably familiar with the term “flatten the curve.” This phrase doesn’t just refer to preventing the spread of the infection, it’s an urgent call to prevent hospitals from maxing out their capacity.  

What We Are Doing

At Oviedo Chiropractic, our patients’ health comes first, so our office has implemented new safety procedures to prevent the spread of coronavirus and other dangerous pathogens. Chiropractic care is an inherently “hands on” treatment, but we are taking great care to follow social distancing as much as possible to reduce the number of people in our office. This includes staggering appointments, wearing face masks, and restricting person-to-person contact to only what’s necessary for your treatment. In addition, we are sterilizing all equipment between appointments as an added precaution. When you arrive for your appointment, one of our friendly staff members will take your temperature with a clean thermometer and screen you for additional symptoms. For safety reasons, we ask that you do not come into the office if:

• You have had a fever of 100° or higher in the past two weeks;
• You have difficulty breathing accompanied by a dry cough;
• You have recently traveled out of the country; or
• You have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

 

Conclusion

By listing chiropractors as an essential service, the DHS is acknowledging the vital role that chiropractic care plays in overall health. For true medical emergencies, the hospital is still the safest place. But for chronic musculoskeletal pain, you’re better off seeing a chiropractor. Chiropractic care not only effectively treats your pain, it keeps you away from the overcrowded healthcare centers where COVID-19 exposure is most likely. Don’t have a chiropractor? We’d love to meet you! Oviedo Chiropractic is open six days a week to fit into your schedule, quarantine or not. Whether you need a spinal adjustment or medical massage, we’ll develop a treatment plan that is customized to you. Schedule an appointment today.