Improving Results with Chiropractic Care
Although the holistic health world has known this for decades, it is now proven through a clinical trial and published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) that chiropractic care in addition to standard medical care improves the results of low back pain more than standard medical care alone. In a four year, three site, trial with over 800 participants, the results showed statistically significant moderate improvements in those who receive chiropractic care in addition to standard treatment.
The clinical trial was done at two large and one small military healthcare sites where the incidence of low back pain is high. Based on the clinical trial, low back pain is one of the most likely conditions to interrupt combat duty for military officers. Additionally, the cost, risk, and unreliability of pharmacological treatments has opened the minds of medical practitioners to the potential benefits of adjunct and alternative therapies. Standard care generally is comprised of combinations of NSAIDS, opioids, spinal fusion, and steroid injections. These were also the standard care treatments available in the clinical trial. These treatments alone, without chiropractic care included, consistently, across multiple sources of medical literature prove to have limited effectiveness with unacceptably high risk which was the conclusion of the clinical trial as well.
Because of clinical trials like this one published in JAMA, the opportunities to reduce pain and disability is expanding beyond the 4-15% of people who generally utilize chiropractic care, to those who have previously been closed to more alternative options. It is becoming more and more the case that best practices in medicine include what have previously been considered alternative therapies without proven effectiveness. Chiropractic care is safe and effective for virtually all spinal complaints. The true combination of medical care and chiropractic care is one that has needed to occur for decades and truly brings to the table the opportunity for multidisciplinary, coordinated care that solves your pain without the adverse reactions associated with many of the standard medical options. If you suffer from back pain and your medical doctor is resistant to the addition or continuation of chiropractic care, you can share this article, or the clinical trial itself. Great chiropractic care, like that of a chiropractor trusts, is often the best solution for low back pain. Our expertise and our passion are in you being pain free. We are excited about the future of chiropractic medicine and look forward to collaboration and coordination with more medical doctors in the future.
