Alternative Therapies for Chronic Pain – Miracles or Hoaxes?

Most people suffering neck and back pain in an ICBC accident recover uneventfully within a year with conventional therapies such as chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy, acupuncture and kinesiology. However, if you are one of the unlucky folks who has continued to have pain a year or more after the accident, you are understandably frustrated with the fact that the pain just won’t go way, despite your best efforts.

The conventional wisdom is that your best recourse for chronic pain is to avoid all if the passive therapies and stick with a self directed daily stretching and strengthening exercise programme taught to you by a kinesiologist or personal trainer.

However, you may have encountered a variety of therapies that promise to deliver you from your chronic pain. Such therapies include prolotherapy, spinal decompression therapy, cold laser, dry needling, sound wave therapy, and a host of other alternative therapies. What is common about these therapies is the following:

( a ) They are not covered by MSP and ICBC will rarely agree to cover the cost

( b ) They are not covered by most employment benefit plans

( c ) They are expensive.

But do they work?

All these therapy models have their supporters and their detractors.  They all work for some people, but generally it can be said that they don’t work to alleviate the pain appreciably for most people. So, I guess the bottom line is that they are neither miracles nor hoaxes.

What if you are absolutely determined to have the therapy and your medical doctor recommends it. In that case, Cowley & Company will  arrange funding on the provision that the full cost of the treatment will likely be deducted from your settlement.