Chiropractic is a health profession that offers more than just a specific treatment. It provides a holistic approach to health, with a focus on spinal manipulation (SM) as a key treatment option. Doctors of Chiropractic (DC’s) use various forms of spinal manipulation, including both force and non-force techniques, to treat back pain.
A Multifaceted Approach
Most chiropractors who treat back pain also provide advice, exercise, and various forms of physical therapy in addition to SM. Some also have massage therapists, and a growing number work in collaboration with other physicians, acupuncturists, therapists, and nurse practitioners. This approach helps patients receive comprehensive care tailored to their specific needs.
The Effectiveness of Spinal Manipulation
Studies have compared the effectiveness of SM to “standard medical care,” which usually includes anti-inflammatory and analgesic medications and advice to maintain normal activity levels. Sometimes, physical therapy is also included in “standard care.”
Research has shown that SM provides a greater reduction in pain and disability at 4 weeks follow-up. Another study found similar improvement when SM was added to usual care. For low back-related leg pain, adding SM to physical therapy and home exercise significantly reduced low back pain, leg pain, and disability.
A recent study found that SM better reduces pain and disability for chronic back pain patients compared to both exercise and physical therapy. The consensus among researchers currently is that SM is at least as effective as typical care for chronic back pain patients.
Endorsements and Recommendations
Importantly, a Canadian Family Practice guideline recently endorsed SM and exercise as the only interventions for which benefits likely exceed harms, meaning they are safer. The United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend SM be offered alongside exercise, and the American College of Physicians’s guideline states that SM should be used as a front-line non-invasive intervention.
Most clinical practice guidelines today recommend SM in addition to education, advice to remain active, and self-management for acute back pain. For chronic pain with or without leg pain, SM alone or in combination with advice, education, and reassurance are recommended, approaches most chiropractors take anyway.
Current research supports using spinal manipulation for both acute and chronic low back pain. It demonstrates that it is as effective or more effective than usual medical care, including medications and physical therapy, and has fewer risks than commonly used medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen.
Contact Us
If you find yourself dealing with back pain, then contact Whalen Chiropractic today.