As a Chiropractor and Athletic Therapist I treat a lot of backs and necks. Approximately 80% of the population will have back pain in their lifetime. Between 6 and 22% of people have chronic neck pain. Four to 10% of people will experience chronic back pain.
Millions of dollars are spend caring for people with chronic spinal pain. For neck pain, in Australia, the direct cost of medical examinations and therapies is $94 million and for lower back pain it is $390 million. This is a huge expense on our society and also a big physical, psychological burden on those suffering with chronic pain.
People grasp at any therapy that promises them relief. Research is working on figuring out what method is better. Take the time to read the infographic but here are the highlights of their findings.
Results
The highest proportion of early (asymptomatic status) recovery was found for manipulation (27.3%), followed by acupuncture (9.4%) and medication (5%). Manipulation achieved the best overall results for functional impairment. However, on the VAS (pain rated on a scale of 0 to 10) for neck pain, acupuncture showed a better result than manipulation (50% vs 42%).
Conclusion
Spinal manipulation, which can be the only form of a care by a chiropractor or a part care, shows to improve function and pain in those with chronic back pain. The paper also indicates that it is not the only form. Acupuncture, another form of care that I provide also shows to benefit chronic back pain
Giles LGF, Muller R. Chronic spinal pain: a randomized clinical trial comparing medication, acupuncture, and spinal manipulation. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2003;28(14):1490-502; discussion 1502-3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12865832.
Originally posted on May 17, 2022 @ 4:39 pm