The Malaysian Insight

TWENTY per cent more young people have visited chiropractors to treat their backs since the Covid-19 pandemic began, the Association of Chiropractic Malaysia (ACM) said.

ACM president Newel Tan said the ailment could be caused by to poor posture, prolonged hours on the desk, and lack of exercise.

He said a survey by the association showed chiropractors nationwide have seen an 80% rise in the number of people seeking chiropractic care since the start of the pandemic.

This, he said, could be due to poor posture, prolonged sitting in the office and work from home arrangements as well as a lack of exercise.

“Over 80% of chiropractors saw at least a 20% increase in people seeking chiropractic care since the start of the pandemic,” Tan told The Malaysian Insight.

“About 87% of chiropractors saw an increase in working young adults (18 to 39) seeking their help.

Among these, 79% of chiropractors noticed a young patient increase of 20%, while 50% saw an increase of 30% in the number of parients, Tan said.

The ACM has 376 active members.

Most of them are in Klang Valley (72%), Johor (7%) and Penang (6%) while the remaining 15% are spread across the other states.

Chiropractors typically manage conditions associated with nerves, muscles, bones, joints and related soft-tissue structures, Tan said.

Anyone who is experiencing muscle, joint, soft tissue pain or discomfort, mobility issues or chronic joint pain can seek out a chiropractor.

“Maintenance care and injury prevention, including postural care and athletes or physically active individuals looking to improve performance can also see a chiropractor,” Tan said.

The most common problems faced by patients are lower back and neck pain, he said.

“Since the start of the pandemic, the two most common complaints encountered by all chiropractors who took the survey were lower back pain (40%) and neck pain (60%).

“Most young people face these problems due to their lifestyle, such as poor posture or prolonged sitting at the office.

“Work from home (arrangements) also tend to see people work even more since it is at home.”

Tan said lack of exercise, specifically the kind that strengthens the postural muscles, and a lack of postural hygiene and knowledge are also contributory factors to the recent influx of younger patients.

Whether the treatments work, Tan said, depends on the severity of the case and patient’s compliance with the practitioner’s orders.

“Most patients who visit a chiropractic practice to begin initial treatment usually start at once or twice a week, then the frequency of sessions reduces as the patient’s condition improves,” Tan said.

“It requires progressive evaluations.” – July 20, 2022.