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The RAND Study
In this independent, ongoing study by
RAND, an expert panel of doctors of
medicine and doctors of chiropractic
reviewed 35 years of research on spinal
manipulation. They agreed that this is
an appropriate and effective treatment
for many kinds of low back pain. A
second study by a panel of chiropractors
agreed with the finding of the first
study.
The AHCPR Guidelines
A panel of doctors of medicine and other
health professionals developed these
federal guidelines in 1994 for the
Agency for Health Care Policy and
Research. Based on a review of current
research, the study recommends treating
acute low back problems with spinal
manipulation by a trained professional.
The Manga Report
This 1993 Canadian research study
examined the effectiveness of
chiropractic management of low back
pain. The panel of health experts found
that spinal manipulation by
chiropractors is more effective, less
costly, and often safer than medical
treatment for low back pain.
The Meade Studies
The British Medical Journal published 2
studies comparing medical treatment to
chiropractic care for low back pain. The
1990 study found that patients seen by
doctors of chiropractic were better
within 6 months and remained better over
a 2-year period. In the 1995 study,
improvement was 29% greater after 3
years of chiropractic care.
The Virginia Cost
Assessments
A 1992 study compared the cost of
chiropractic care to other medical
treatments for common back problems. The
researchers found that chiropractic care
had the lowest per-visit and total
treatment costs. Another Virginia study
found that chiropractic care is
effective and economical.
The Florida Study
This 1988 study of more than 10,000
workers with back-related injuries found
that those who received chiropractic
care returned to work almost twice as
fast as those who received medical
treatment. Chiropractic care was also
less than half the cost of medical
treatment.
Research Supports Chiropractic for Other
Conditions
Other research studies are showing that
chiropractic is safe and effective for
treating a number of conditions,
including headaches and colic in
infants.
Headaches
A 1995 clinical study of patients
suffering from tension headaches found
that 6 weeks of spinal manipulation by
chiropractors was an effective
treatment. It relieved pain longer and
with fewer side effects than treatment
for the same period with antidepressant
medication. Other studies are looking at
the effectiveness of chiropractic care
for other kinds of headaches, as well as
neck pain.
Infants and Chiropractic
A 1989 Danish study of infants with
colic (prolonged crying for no clear
reason) found that spinal manipulation
greatly reduced symptoms in 94% of the
babies. This was after an average of
only 3 treatments over a 2-week period.
Medication, changes in diet, and other
treatments have failed to reduce
symptoms in these newborns.
Research Continues
More and more clinical trials and
studies are being done on chiropractic
adjustments. This research will show
whether chiropractic is a safe,
effective alternative to medical
treatment for conditions such as asthma,
high blood pressure, and ulcers. |
