WebMD states that “chiropractic care is considered a safe, effective treatment for acute low back pain, neck pain, headaches, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia.”
A large literature review from the United Kingdom, published in 2010 and commonly known as the Bronfort Report, found “moderate to high-quality evidence” supporting manual therapy for acute low back pain, chronic low back pain, acute whiplash-associated disorders, shoulder pain and dysfunction, adhesive capsulitis, tennis elbow, hip osteoarthritis, knee osteoarthritis, patellofemoral pain syndrome, plantar fasciitis, migraine, cervicogenic headache, cervicogenic dizziness, and both acute and chronic neck pain.
The report also pointed out that a combination of treatment approaches is often more effective than one treatment alone. The term “manual therapy” may include manipulation, mobilization, massage, and exercise.
A 2011 study compared three groups of patients with chronic low back pain:
1. no chiropractic care
2. chiropractic care three times per week for four weeks
3. the same initial care plus maintenance visits every two weeks for the next nine months
After the first month, the two groups receiving chiropractic care reported significantly lower pain and disability scores compared with the group receiving no care.
However, by the end of the ten-month study period, only the group receiving ongoing maintenance care continued to improve. The group that stopped care after the first month had pain and disability scores that returned close to their original levels.
The study authors concluded:
“…SMT [spinal manipulative therapy] is effective for the treatment of chronic nonspecific LBP. To obtain long-term benefit, this study suggests maintenance SMT after the initial intensive manipulative therapy.”
A series of Norwegian studies found that the primary purpose of maintenance care was preventing future low back pain episodes, especially in patients who had already responded well to chiropractic treatment.
Including regular chiropractic care as part of your long-term health plan may not only help reduce pain, but may also improve your overall quality of life.
