CHIROPRACTIC
CARE STUDIES
Evidence for the Effectiveness of
Chiropractic
What Medical Doctors Say About Chiropractic
Cost Effectiveness of
Chiropractic
Chiropractic's Increase in Popularity
Evidence for the Effectiveness
of Chiropractic
Research conducted throughout the world shows that
chiropractic treatment for lower back pain is both safe and effective. The
following are excerpts from a few of the more recent studies:
Quality of Results
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"...for the management of low-back pain, chiropractic
care is the most effective treatment, and it should be fully integrated into
the government's health care system."
The Manga Report, 1993.
Versus Alternative Treatments
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"Chiropractic treatment was more effective than
hospital outpatient management, mainly for patients with chronic or severe
back pain."
British Medical Journal, 1990.
British Medical Research Council Study.
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"...spinal manipulation applied by chiropractors
is shown to be more effective than alternative treatments for low-back pain."
The Manga Report, 1993.
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"...injured workers ... diagnosed with low-back
pain returned to work much sooner when treated by chiropractors than by
physicians."
The Manga Report, 1993.
Long-Term Effectiveness
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"Two and three years after patients with back pain
were treated by chiropractors, they experienced far less pain than those
who were treated by medical doctors."
British Medical Journal, 1990.
"Low Back Pain of Mechanical Origin: Randomized Comparison of Chiropractic
and Hospital Outpatient Treatment."
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"...one of the unexpected findings ...looks as though
the treatment that the chiropractors give does something that results in
a very long-term benefit."
T. W. Meade, M.D., CBC Radio.
Chiropractic treatment for a variety of
neuromusculoskeletal conditions is gaining wider acceptance among the medical
profession. Because students of chiropractic spend significantly more time
studying the spine than do medical students, many medical doctors recognize
the value of chiropractors as the appropriate source for diagnosis of and
first line of treatment for functional disorders of the entire musculoskeletal
system.
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M.D.s now categorize chiropractic manipulation with
the highest rating: "Generally accepted, well-established and widely used."
Spine, 1991.
North American Spine Society.
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"A majority of family physicians (in Washington)
admitted having encouraged patients to see a chiropractor, and two-thirds
indicated a desire to learn more about what chiropractors do."
The Journal of Family Practice, 1992.
"Family Physicians and Chiropractors: What's Best for the
Patient?"
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"Our trial showed that chiropractic is a very effective
treatment, more effective than conventional hospital outpatient treatment
for low-back pain ... particularly in patients ... who have severe problems."
T. W. Meade, M.D.
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"The only difference that I can see is that the
patients at John F. Kennedy get chiropractic manipulations. And in my experience,
the patients at J.F.K. almost without fail get out of the hospital in a week.
At Lutheran, it usually takes, oh, not uncommonly, 14 days."
Per Frietag, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon, on why he prefers
to admit his patients with back pain to John F. Kennedy Hospital, which has
staff chiropractors, rather than Lutheran General, which does not have staff
chiropractors.
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"Manipulative medicine is no longer a taboo topic."
Norton Hadler, M.D., self-described "cantankerous doctor who would
have never dealt with manipulation in the past," professor of rheumatology,
University of North Carolina Medical School at Chapel Hill, Time Magazine,
1991.
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"Ten years ago if you practiced manipulation ...
you couldn't get published and were never invited to meetings. Now I can't
keep up with the invitations."
Neurologist Scott Haldeman. M.D.. D.C..
New York Times. 1991.
Chiropractic treatment of back pain is a perfect
example of how health care expenditures can be reduced while in fact increasing
the quality of care. Not only is chiropractic treatment significantly less
costly than treatment managed by a medical doctor, but because chiropractic
care can get workers back on the job more quickly, it can save business millions
of dollars in lost productivity.
Cost/Quality Analysis
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"The overwhelming body of evidence shows that
chiropractic management of low-back pain is more cost effective than medical
management, and that many medical therapies are of questionable validity
or are clearly inadequate ... Chiropractic manipulation is safer than medical
management of low-back pain."
The Manga Report, 1993.
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"There would be highly significant cost savings
if more management of low-back pain was transferred from physicians to
chiropractors... Users of chiropractic care have substantially lower health
care costs, especially inpatient costs, than those who use medical care only."
The Manga Report, 1993.
Mean Compensation Costs
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"The mean compensation cost (not treatment costs)
paid out by the Utah Worker's Compensation Board for patients treated by
medical doctors was $668.39; the mean compensation cost paid for patients
treated by chiropractic was only $68.38."
Journal of Occupational Medicine, 1991.
"Cost per Case Comparison of Back Injury Claims for Chiropractic vs. Medical
Management for Conditions with Identical Diagnostic Code."
Medical Payments
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Total medical costs for back-related injuries cost
the Utah Worker's Compensation Board an average of $1,665.43 per case;
chiropractic costs for similar diagnoses cost only $775.30.
D.C.. Tracts, 1989.
"Cost per Case Analysis of Utah Industrial Back Injury Claims: Chiropractic
Management vs. Medical Management for Diagnostically Equivalent
Conditions."
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Medical payments for back-related injuries cost
the Florida Worker's Compensation Board $1,100 per case; chiropractic treatment
for similar diagnoses cost only $558.
ACA Journal of Chiropractic, 1988.
"An Analysis of Florida Worker's Compensation Medical Claims for Back-Related
Injuries."
Comparison of Compensation Days
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Of 1,996 low-back pain cases studied, patients receiving
chiropractic treatment averaged 6.26 compensation days compared to 25.56
compensation days for medical patients.
Chiropractic Journal of Australia, 1992.
"Mechanical Low-Back Pain: A Comparison of Medical and Chiropractic
Management."
The Av-Med Study
This study included 80 patients, each of whom was
previously treated by a medical doctor and subsequently referred to the Silverman
Chiropractic Center. Of these 80 patients, 21 % had been diagnosed with disc
problems, 5% received emergency room treatment and 12% had been diagnosed
as requiring surgery.
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Following chiropractic treatment, no surgery was
required. 86% needed no further treatment at all. And the projected savings
on the patient study group was approximately $250,000.
The Av-Med Study, 1993.
Because chiropractic treatment of lower back pain
is often more successful than medical treatment, patient satisfaction with
chiropractic care is generally higher. As these successes mount, positive
word-of-mouth spreads. Today, the popularity of chiropractic is at an all-time
high.
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Nearly 30% of the U.S. population, aged 18 and older,
have used chiropractic.
The Gallup Organization, 1991.
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Nine of ten chiropractic users felt their treatment
was effective.
The Gallup Organization, 1991.
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58% of those using chiropractic considered it an
essential part of their Heath insurance package.
The Gallup Organization, 1991.
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"Chiropractic patients were three times more satisfied
with their care than patients of family practice physicians."
Western Journal of Medicine, 1989.
"Patient Evaluations of Low-Back Pain Care."
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"Chiropractors are now accepted as a legitimate
healing profession by the public and by an increasing number of physicians."
The Manga Report, 1993.
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"Chiropractic is a growing component of the health
care sector, and it is widely used by the population."
The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, and Medical
College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, January 1992.
"Mandated Health Insurance Coverage for Chiropractic Treatment: An Economic
Assessment, With Implications for the Commonwealth of Virginia."
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