Doctors of chiropractic have long been dedicated to delivering the safest and most effective healing methods for their patients. To achieve this, the chiropractic profession has been dedicated to scientific evaluation of their diagnostic and treatment methods and techniques. Chiropractic health care has an impressive array of studies which support and prove the effectiveness of chiropractic care in a variety of different health ailments and many more studies are currently underway. Many of these studies have been performed not only by chiropractors, but by other health care professionals and federal government studies of various countries.
The chiropractic profession has actually accumulated a greater number of scientific trials than the medical profession has for many of the more common treatments rendered by medical doctors. According to David M. Edy, M.D., Ph.D., professor of health policy and management with Duke University, North Carolina, only 15 percent of all medical interventions are supported by solid scientific evidence. Paul G. Shekelle, M.D., MPH, of the RAND Corporation made the following statement on ABC's 20/20, "There are considerably more randomized controlled trials which show benefit of this (chiropractic) than there are for many, many other things which physicians and neurosurgeons do all the time."
Comparison Studies
Do You Know That Chiropractic Care Is Second To None?
According to a study conducted by Ontario's Ministry of Health, "...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 same study also found, "...injured workers ... diagnosed with low-back pain returned to work much sooner when treated by chiropractors than by physicians." Read More
Cost Effectiveness Studies
It was estimated that 1992 low back pain costs in the US were a staggering $60 billion when production lost was taken into consideration. Research has indicated that low back pain disability is growing 14 times faster than the population. It's the leading cause of disability and morbidity in middle-aged persons, and is the most expensive source of workers' compensation costs in North America. In the 30-50 age group, low back pain is the single most expensive health care problem. Read More
Effectiveness Studies
On December 8, 1994, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) of the US Department of Health and Human Services released Clinical Practice Guidelines for the management of acute low back pain. Their guidelines were developed after extensive study of diagnostic and treatment methods for acute low back pain. Read More
Government Studies on Chiropractic
There have been a number of large investigations conducted on chiropractic by the American, Canadian, New Zealand, Swedish and Australian governments over the last few decades. In all cases, their findings have supported the effectiveness and efficacy of Chiropractic. Canada's 1993 Manga Report strongly recommended chiropractic care over medical care for the treatment and management of most low-back conditions. The 1994 AHCPR Study from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggested that chiropractic spinal manipulation was a conservative and safe treatment for many low-back conditions and should be utilized prior to any surgical interventions in most cases. Read More
Patient Satisfaction Studies
Patient satisfaction studies have consistently shown that patients are extremely satisfied with the care they receive from chiropractors and are far less satisfied with the care they receive from medical practitioners. Read More
Chiropractic Safety Studies
Chiropractic treatments are extremely safe for people of all ages. Unfortunately, some critics of chiropractic care have attempted to manipulate the public into thinking chiropractic treatments are dangerous. Nothing could be further from the truth. Chiropractic treatments are among some of the safest treatments used in the health care field. Read More
Interesting Facts and Statistics
- The popularity of chiropractic is at an all-time high, 80% of Americans will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives.
- Back symptoms are the most common cause of disability for individuals under the age of 45. Read More
Workers' Compensation and Return to Work Studies
A number of workers' compensation studies have shown chiropractic care to be superior to medical care in the treatment of on the job back injuries. Chiropractors have been able to get their patients out of pain and back to work faster and with lower treatment costs. Read More
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