No Longer A Luxury – Chiropractic Care for Low Back Pain

Low back pain treatment is no longer an option in today’s fast paced society. Recent research shows that adults have an 80% probability of suffering at least one acute low back pain attack in their lives – and that over 31 million people are suffering with low back pain at any given time. That’s not all – take a look at the list below.

Walking upright on two feet has advantages, but it also puts intense pressure on the spine, as well as on other muscles and bones. Add to this improper sitting, lifting, or reaching—and the normal wear and tear of working and playing—and you have the perfect recipe for back pain. That’s why back pain is the 2nd most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections. In fact, some experts say, as many as 80% of us will experience a back problem at some time in our lives.
Back injuries are a part of everyday life. They can cause a sharp pain or a dull ache and can be accompanied by a tingling, numbness, or burning sensation. You may also feel weakness, pain, or tingling in your pelvis and upper leg—a condition known as sciatica. The spine is quite good at dealing with back injuries. Minor injuries usually heal within a day or two. Some pain, however, continues.

Chiropractic Care for Back Pain
Among people seeking back pain relief alternatives, most choose chiropractic treatment. About 22 million Americans visit chiropractors annually. Of these, 7.7 million, or 35%, are seeking relief from back pain from various causes, including accidents, sports injuries, and muscle strains. Other complaints include pain in the neck, arms, and legs, and headaches.

The direct and indirect cost to society of lower back pain has been estimated to be approximately $50 billion dollars annually. In fact, lower back pain is the most common cause of disability in people under age 45, and of the $27 billion spent on all musculoskeletal trauma, $16 billion is spent in the management of low back pain, with more than half of that $16 billion being spent on surgical treatment.

Chiropractic Care – Low Back Pain Facts & Figures:

Low Back Pain Is The #1 Cause Of Disability In The United States 140 Million Work Days Are Missed Each Year Due To Low Back Pain 24% of children report having low back pain 31 million Americans experience low back pain at any given time 50% of all working Americans report having low back pain each year. Over 140 Million Work Days Are Lost Each Year Due To Low Back Pain 80% of the population will experience low back pain at some time in their lives Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain.

Understanding Lower Back Pain Video

Healthcare practitioners have long debated over which type of treatment is the most effective for chronic lower back pain (CLBP). A recent landmark study, published in the prestigious medical journal Spine, has put another nail in the coffin of this debate. For years the medical profession has demanded more evidence in the form of randomized controlled clinical trials demonstrating the effectiveness of chiropractic care for CLBP. Well, the evidence is in and what chiropractic patients and chiropractic physicians alike have known for decades has been demonstrated!
Research Show Chiropractic Care Far Superior To Drugs
Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial
In the study published by Spine, 115 patients experiencing lower back pain for at least 13 weeks duration were randomly assigned to receive one of three interventions: medication, needle acupuncture or chiropractic manipulation.

Patients randomized to the acupuncture or spinal manipulation group were given an initial physical examination by the treating clinician to determine which form of acupuncture needle placement and needling would take place, or what type of spinal manipulation would be performed, respectively. Patients randomized to the medication group were given Celebrex, unless the patient had used it previously. The next drug of choice was Vioxx, followed by paracetamol (up to 4g/day). Doses were left to the physician’s discretion. Chiropractors administered “high-velocity, low-amplitude” manipulations. Chiropractic patients were given two treatments per week.

The patients were assessed four times: at the initial visit, and two, five and nine weeks after the initial treatment.

At the end of the study, the group receiving manipulation experienced a 300% increase in the number of patients fully recovered versus the acupuncture group and a 450% increase over the medication group.

Patient assessments regarding chronic lower back pain for the three groups also indicated superiority for chiropractic manipulation. This superiority is demonstrated in the percentage of improvement that patients in each of the three groups experienced as measured by the administered assessment tools.

Chiropractic Care For Lower Back Pain Is No Longer Optional - It Just Makes Sense

One of the study’s most remarkable findings was that patients in the chiropractic manipulation group reported a 47 percent improvement, compared to only 15 percent for the acupuncture group and 18 percent for the medication group.

“Considering that the patients in this study had experienced chronic spinal pain syndrome for an average of 4.5 years in the medication group, 6.4 years in the acupuncture group, and 8.3 years in the spinal manipulation group, it is notable that manipulation… achieved asymptomatic status for every fourth patient (27%). This result is superior to the percentages for acupuncture (9.4%) and medication (5%) for short-term outcomes… Medication apparently did not achieve a marked improvement in chronic spinal pain and caused adverse reactions in 6.1% of the patients.”

“The results of this study can be generalized because the study sample had a broad socioeconomic background and a wide age range.”

“In summary, the significance of the study is that for chronic spinal pain syndromes, it appears that spinal manipulation provided the best overall short-term results, despite the fact that the spinal manipulation group had experienced the longest pretreatment duration of pain.”

References
1.Giles LGF, Muller R. Chronic spinal pain – a randomized clinical trial comparing medication, acupuncture, and spinal manipulation. Spine 2003; 28:1490-1503.
2.Ernst E, Assendelft WJJ. Chiropractic for low back pain. BMJ 1998; 317: 160.
3.Meade TW, Dyer S, Browne W, Townsend J, Frank AO. Low back pain of mechanical origin: randomized comparison of chiropractic and hospital outpatient treatment. BMJ 1990; 300: 1431-1437.
4.Meade TW, Dyer S, Browne W, Frank AO. Randomized comparison of chiropractic and hospital outpatient management for low back pain: results from extended follow-up. BMJ 1995; 311: 349-351.
5.Waddell G, Feder G, McIntosh A, Lewis M, Hutchinson A. Clinical guidelines for the management of acute low back pain: clinical guidelines and evidence review. London: Royal College of General Practitioners, 1996.
6.Shekelle PG, Adams AH, Chassin MR, Hurwitz EL, Brook RH. Spinal manipulation for low-back pain. Ann Intern Med 1992; 117: 590-598.

See If CHiropractic Care Is Right For Your Low Back Pain

If you or someone you know is suffering with chronic lower back pain, ask a friend or family member for the name of their doctor of chiropractic and see if this proven method of treatment for CLBP is right for you.