The Power of Chiropractic Care
A Look at Chiropractic Research
"Chiropractors get a boost and surgeons a setback in government supported guidelines on how to treat low back pain", so said the opening statements in a front page article in a December 1994 issue of USA Today. The article gives another boost to the fastest growing health care profession in the
In the past, the Chiropractic profession has depended on patient results and word of mouth to substantiate their claims of success. However, with recent studies conducted throughout the world on the benefits of chiropractic care have found that the spinal adjustment, sometimes called manipulation, is cost effective, safe and beneficial. Another extensive study was done in 1993 on the cost-effectiveness and efficacy of chiropractic care. It was commissioned by the Ontario Ministry of Health of
The RAND Study was completed in 1992 by the RAND Corporation, in
In June of 1990, the British Medical Journal published a research paper by T.W. Meade, a medical doctor, concerning a comparison of chiropractic care to other forms of treatment (Corset wearing and standard physical therapy) for low-back pain. The result of this study can best be summarized by Dr. Meade. "For patients with low-back pain in whom manipulation is not contraindicated, chiropractic almost certainly confers worthwhile, long term benefit in comparison to hospital outpatient management."
In August of 1991, the Journal of Occupational Medicine published a study examining the cost comparisons between medical and chiropractic providers for low-back injuries with identical diagnostic codes. It concluded that compensation costs for lost work time for patients who received chiropractic care were $68.38, compared to $668.39 for those who received standard, non-surgical medical treatment. In fact, the number of work days lost was nearly ten times higher than for those receiving chiropractic care.
Where does all of this research lead us? Without a doubt, chiropractic care is the most cost effective and beneficial treatment for low-back pain. Unfortunately there are still a lot of misconceptions in both the medical community and the public concerning chiropractic care. However, the only unfortunate thing about chiropractic is that this is the first battle on the health care front where chiropractic has been proven effective. However, in my own practice I treat people suffering from headaches to whiplash and from sinusitis to immune suppression. The close relationship between the spine and the nervous system, which is the communication system of the body, has still not been researched. Interferences in this system interfere with the persons health and inhibit their healing potential. Like most things in life, research is way behind accepted practice, and in essence is old news. For now, the chiropractic profession will continue to turn on the lights and let the body heal itself.