Record number of Danes visit a chiropractor

Alternative treatment alleviates back pain and is partially covered by public health insurance

New figures from the regional government organisation Danske Regioner reveal that 370,148 Danes sought the services of a chiropractor last year, which is a 21 percent increase compared to 2005, when 305,250 patients used the alternative treatment.

Jan Hartvigsen, a professor and research director in clinical biomechanics at the University of Southern Denmark, believes chiropractic treatment has generally become more acceptable, especially when people suffer from back pain.

“Previously, people with pain were more likely to resign, but today they will not accept living with pain if they can do something about it,” Hartvigsen told Politiken.

“There is a general tendency to seek more treatment than before, and this also applies to chiropractors.”

READ MORE: Most Danes interested in using alternative medicine

Reducing back pain
Chiropractors are healthcare professionals who provide diagnosis and treatment for neuromuscular disorders through the manual adjustment of the spine.

In Denmark, they are licensed by the national health authority, Sundhedsstyrelsen, and are an integral part of the Danish healthcare system.

The popularity of chiropractic treatment has started to grow in Denmark since 1994, when the first education programs opened and more research on the effects of the practice was carried out.

In 2016, the average patient visited a chiropractor 5.7 times, which corresponds to a total of 2.1 million treatments over a whole year.

According to Christian Ankerstjerne, the communications manager at the Danish Chiropractic Association, there are currently about 260 registered chiropractic clinics across the country.

Public health insurance covers about 20 percent of each chiropractic treatment, and there is no need for a referral from a GP.

Nevertheless, many remain sceptical about chiropractors, and the death of  glamour model Katie May in Britain last year did little to dispel the belief they are a health risk.

In May’s case, a visit to a chiropractor left her with a torn artery in her neck that caused the stroke that killed her, even though experts later described it as a one in a million injury.

 

 




  • Greenland, Danish life science, and the future of US-Danish relations

    Greenland, Danish life science, and the future of US-Danish relations

    The US is the biggest market for the Danish life science industry, the country’s currently most important. Despite the situation, Denmark is not alone. There is also room for compromise, and promises of such jobs and additional investments are likely to at least reduce the tensions in US-Danish trade relations.

  • The internationals who created an app to make friends in Denmark  

    The internationals who created an app to make friends in Denmark  

    A team of young internationals has created an app that is helping their peers connect and build friendships in Denmark, addressing the challenges of social integration.

  • New documentary stirs debate in Denmark and Greenland 

    New documentary stirs debate in Denmark and Greenland 

    The documentary Greenland’s White Gold, reveals the worth of cryolite mining in Greenland to be in the billions. Over the years its value has been undermined, despite it acting like a gold mine for the Danish state. 

  • Today is 10 years from Copenhagen terrorist attack

    Today is 10 years from Copenhagen terrorist attack

    On February 14 and 15, the last terrorist attack took place in Denmark. Another episode occurred in 2022, but in that case, there was no political motive behind it

  • Enter Christiania: how the Freetown works

    Enter Christiania: how the Freetown works

    We all know Christiania and have been there at least once. But how does the Freetown work? How are decisions made? Can a person move there? Is there rent or bills to pay? British journalist Dave Wood wrote a reportage on Christiania for The Copenhagen Post.

  • The struggles of Asian women in Denmark’s labour market

    The struggles of Asian women in Denmark’s labour market

    Isha Thapa unfolds her research “An Analysis on the Inclusivity and Integration of South Asian Women in High-Skilled Jobs within the Danish Labor Market”. Thapa describes the systemic and social challenges these women face, ranging from barriers in social capital to cultural integration.