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The British Medical Research Council documented a ten-year study that compared chiropractic and hospital outpatient management of seventy-four (74) patients with acute and chronic mechanical low back pain. The results showed that chiropractic care was significantly more effective than medical treatment for patients with chronic and severe pain. Furthermore, these results were long-term and remained consistent throughout the two-year follow-up period. Chiropractic was also shown to save the British more than 10 million pounds a year by having hospital outpatients with low back pain under chiropractic care.

Chiropractic Reduces Disability Among Nation's Workers

A 1992 article in the Journal of Family Practice compared patients of family physicians and chiropractors. The article stated "the number of days of disability for patients seen by family physicians was significantly higher (mean 39.7) than for patients managed by chiropractors (mean 10.8)." A related editorial in the same issue referred to risks of complications from lumbar manipulation as being "very low."

Chiropractic Offers Elderly Less Hospitalization

The RAND corporation compared senior citizens who were chiropractic patients to those who were non-chiropractic patients. The study found that the seniors under chiropractic care reported better overall health, fewer symptomatic chronic conditions, fewer days in hospitals and nursing homes, and more mobility than the non-chiropractic patients.

Chiropractic Eliminates Symptoms In 81% Of Those Previously Disabled

In 1985, the University of Saskatchewan conducted a study of 283 patients "who had not responded to previous conservative or operative treatment" and who were initially classified as totally disabled. The study revealed that "81% became symptom free or achieved a state of mild intermittent pain with no work restrictions" after daily spinal manipulations were administered.

Chiropractic Care Twice As Effective As Medical Care In Treatment of Spine

The state of California Workers Compensation Study conducted by Richard Wolf, MD, found that patient time loss was cut in half under chiropractic care compared to medical care. Further, chiropractic effectiveness was found to give twice the benefit over medical care in ailments involving the spine.

Chiropractic Is The Treatment Of Choice For Low Back Pain

On December 8, 1994, The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released an extensive study of diagnostic and treatment methods for acute low back pain. This condition is the most common health complaint experienced by working Americans today, and a condition which costs the economy at least $50 billion a year in lost wages and productivity.

The AHCPR panel, a 23-member committee of medical doctors, nurses, chiropractic doctors, experts in spine research, physical therapists, a psychologist, an occupational therapist and a consumer representative, concluded that:

• Spinal manipulation is a recommended treatment for acute low back problems in adults.

• Conservative treatment such as manipulation should be pursued, in most cases, before surgical interventions are considered.

• Prescription drugs are not recommended for acute low back problems.

Chiropractic Is Effective For Low Back Pain

A four-phase study conducted in the early 1990s by RAND, one of America's most prestigious centers for research in public policy, science and technology, explored many indications of low-back pain. In the RAND studies, an expert panel of researchers, including medical doctors and doctors of chiropractic, found that:

• Chiropractors deliver a substantial amount of health care to the U.S. population.

• Spinal manipulation is of benefit to some patients with acute low-back pain.

The RAND reports marked the first time that representatives of the medical community went on record stating that spinal manipulation is an appropriate treatment for certain low-back pain conditions.

Chiropractic Is Safe And Effective For Spinal Disc Herniation

Following a 1993 study, researchers J. David Cassidy, D.C., Hayno Thiel, D.C., M.S., and W. Kirkaldy Willis, M.D., of the Back Pain Clinic at the Royal University Hospital in Saskatchewan concluded that "the treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation by side posture manipulation is both safe and effective."

Chiropractic Offers Long-Term Benefits After Hospitalization And Surgery

A study conducted by T.W. Meade, a medical doctor, and reported in the June 2, 1990, British Medical Journal concluded after two years of patient monitoring, "for patients with low-back pain in whom manipulation is not contraindicated, chiropractic almost certainly confers worthwhile, long-term benefit in comparison with hospital outpatient management."

Chiropractic Reduces Persistent Back Pain

A 1991 Dutch project compared manipulative therapy (chiropractic) and physiotherapy (physical therapy) for the treatment of persistent back and neck complaints. After 12 months, the manipulative therapy groups showed greater improvement in the primary complaint as well as in physical function, with fewer visits. Funding for this trial was provided by the Dutch Ministry of Welfare, Health and Cultural Affairs, and by the Dutch Health Insurance Council.

Chiropractic Effective In Correcting Spinal Disorders

The Potter Study reviewed 744 patients with neck and back pain, who had been referred from hospitals, private practice specialists, and general practitioners. The Study analyzed the effectiveness of chiropractic manipulation. The results revealed that 36% of the patients recovered (became symptom-free with no work restrictions), 34.5% became much improved (mildly symptomatic and able to function normally), and 7.3% had slight improvement. The study also revealed that post-surgical patients do very well under chiropractic care.

Chiropractic More Effective In The Treatment Of Low Back Conditions

In Australia, a 12-month study conducted by the Australian Center for Chiropractic Research included all work-related low-back pain claimants. Individuals were identified who received care either from a chiropractor or a medical practitioner. The results indicated that:

• When chiropractic management was chosen fewer claimants required compensation and fewer compensation days were taken.

• When medical management was chosen, the average payment per claim was greater and a greater number of patients regressed to chronic status.

Chiropractic As Effective As Prescription Pain Killer

The Journal of Manipulative Physiology reports spinal manipulation was found to be as effective as amitriptyline, a prescription pain medication. On the basis of relative side effects profiles, chiropractic care should be considered the treatment option of choice for patients with frequent migraine headaches.

Chiropractic Reduces All Types Of Headaches

A 1996 Duke University study reports that migraine, cervicogenic and tension-type headaches all respond very favorably to chiropractic treatment.

Chiropractic Effective For Migraine Sufferers

The Journal of Manipulative Physiology reports patients with migraine headaches reported a significant improvement after chiropractic treatment. The study concluded that chiropractic care has an effect on the physical conditions related to stress and that in these people the effects of the migraine are reduced.

Chiropractic Reduces Headache Frequency And Duration By 69%

The Journal of Manipulative Physiology reports the number of headache hours per day decreased by 69% for headache sufferers with chiropractic treatment.

Chiropractic Reduces Headaches By 74.6%

A 1978 study conducted by J. S. Wright, D.C., and reported in the ACA Journal of Chiropractic, indicated that 74.6% of patients with recurring headaches, including migraines, were either cured or experienced reduced headaches after receiving chiropractic care.

Chiropractic More Effective Than Other Headache Treatments

The Annals of Internal Medicine reports that neck pain is a common problem, but the effectiveness of frequently applied conservative therapies has never been directly compared. In this study, chiropractic treatment was a more favorable treatment option for patients with neck pain compared with physical therapy or continued care by a general practitioner.

Chiropractic Treatment Better Than Medical Treatment For Headaches

A 12-month study conducted by The British Medical Journal found that manipulative therapy is better than medical treatment and placebo treatment in the management of Neck Pain.

IMMUNE FUNCTION

Chiropractic Patient Have 200% Greater Immune Function

A study by Ronald Pero, PhD., chief of cancer prevention of NY medical Institute, found that chiropractic patients had a 200% greater immuno-competence than non-chiropractic patients.

Chiropractic Helps Fight Disease

A University of Calgary study found that keeping the spine and nervous system healthy is important to fend off disease. Patient under chiropractic care scored higher in many aspects of their health.

Chiropractic Greatly Increases CD4 Counts In HIV Patients

A 1994 study concluded that chiropractic adjustments had an effect on the immune system. The study looked at HIV positive patients. The study measured CD4 counts in HIV positive patients over 6 months. The patients under chiropractic care saw a 48% increase in CD4 counts, while the patients not under care saw a decrease of 8%.

Chiropractic Reduces Ear Infections By 80%

In 1997 a study of 332 children showed that kids with a history of chronic ear infections under chiropractic care for 6 months had NO MORE infections in 80% of the case.

Chiropractic Reduces Childhood Disease

In 1989, a study of 400 children showed that children receiving chiropractic care had significantly less occurrence of infectious diseases.

COST EFFECTIVNESS

Chiropractic Dramatically Cuts Surgical Costs

AV MED, a large HMO in the southeast, wanted to see if it could save money by having patients visit chiropractors for back pain. They chose 100 patients, eighty who had already been treated medically without results. In each case, the patient had been seen by an average of 1.8 medical doctors. After receiving chiropractic adjustments, not one of the 100 patients had to have surgery. Furthermore, 86 percent of them got better and none of them got worse. Herbert Davis, M.D., the medical director of AV MED, said that chiropractic care saved the HMO $250,000 in surgical costs alone!

Chiropractic Users Have Lower Health Care Costs

A 1992 review of data from over 2,000,000 users of chiropractic care in the U.S., reported in the Journal of American Health Policy, stated that, "chiropractic users tend to have substantially lower total health care costs," and "chiropractic care reduces the use of both physician and hospital care."

Chiropractic Dramatically Cuts Health Care Costs

Oakland University's Stano Cost Comparison Study of 395,641 patients with one or more of 493 neuromusculoskeletal conditions was undertaken to compare the health care costs of patients who have received chiropractic treatment to those treated solely by medical or osteopathic physicians. The results showed that patients receiving chiropractic care experienced significantly lower health care costs. Chiropractic patients saved over $1000 per patient over the two-year study.

Chiropractic Reduces Disability And Hospitalization

A 1998 study of 10,652 Florida workers' compensation cases was conducted by Steve Wolk, Ph.D., and reported by the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research. It was concluded that "a claimant with a back-related injury, when initially treated by a chiropractor versus a medical doctor, is less likely to become temporarily disabled, or if disabled, remains disabled for a shorter period of time; and claimants treated by medical doctors were hospitalized at a much higher rate than claimants treated by chiropractors."

Chiropractic Patients Recover 10 Times Faster Than Medical Patients

A workers' compensation study conducted in Utah compared the cost of chiropractic care to the costs of medical care for conditions with identical diagnostic codes. Results were reported in the 1991 Journal of Occupational Medicine. The study indicated that costs were significantly higher for medical claims than for chiropractic claims; in addition, the number of work days lost was nearly ten times higher for those who received medical care instead of chiropractic care.

Chiropractic Is A Lower Cost Option

The Dean and Schrnidt Study was a comparison of the cost of chiropractic care versus the cost of medical care for various health conditions (predominantly low-back pain, spinal-related sprains, strains, dislocations, arthritis, and disc disorders), revealed that "chiropractic is a lower cost option for several prominent back-related ailments...if chiropractic care is insured to the extent other specialists are stipulated, it may emerge as a first option for patients with certain medical conditions. This could very well result in a decrease in overall treatment costs for these conditions"

Chiropractic Offers Less Lost Work Days Than Medicine

A 1991 report on a workers' compensation study conducted in Oregon concluded that the median time loss days (per case) for comparable injuries was 9.0 for patients receiving treatment by a doctor of chiropractic and 11.5 for treatment by a medical doctor.

Chiropractic Is Extremely Economical

A 1992 study provided an economic assessment of mandated health insurance coverage for chiropractic treatment within the Commonwealth of Virginia. As reported by the College of William and Mary, and the Medical College of Virginia, the study indicated that chiropractic provides therapeutic benefits at economical costs. The report also recommended that chiropractic be a widely available form of health care.

Chiropractic Reduces Treatment Costs By 260%

The State Industrial Insurance Systems (SIIS) in Nevada compared the average medical and chiropractic care for patients who suffered industrial injuries from 1988-1990. The results showed that 24.4 percent were back injuries but they accounted for more than 50 percent of all medical costs. Over the three-year period, the average medical cost per patient was $2,142 which was 260 percent higher than the average chiropractic cost per patient of $892; Loss of work time under chiropractic care is less than one-third that for medical care. Furthermore, injured workers are able to continue working while receiving chiropractic care that may not be an option for medical care patients who are advised to have bed rest and medication. The Nevada Worker's Compensation Study emphasized that chiropractic eliminates the concern and expense of inappropriate hospitalization, unnecessary surgery, and improper use of medication including the high dosage of narcotic painkillers.

PATIENT SATISFACTION

Chiropractic Patients Report 90% Effectiveness

A 1991 demographic poll conducted by the Gallup Organization revealed that 90% of chiropractic patients felt their treatment was effective; more than 80% were satisfied with that treatment; and nearly 75% felt most of their expectations had been met during their chiropractic visits.

Chiropractic Patients More Satisfied

A 1989 survey concluded that patients receiving care from health maintenance organizations (HMOs) within the state of Washington were three times as likely to report satisfaction with care from chiropractors as they were with care from other physicians. The patients were also more likely to believe that their chiropractor was concerned about them.

Most Medical Doctors Refer To Chiropractors

A survey in the province of Ontario revealed that a majority of MDs in family practice (62%) were referring patients to chiropractors

Chiropractic Is Extremely Safe And Effective

A major study to assess the most appropriate use of available health care resources was reported in 1993. Three health economists led by University of Ottawa Professor Pran Magna, Ph.D., conducted the study, termed the Magna Report. The Magna Report overwhelmingly supported the efficacy, safety, scientific validity, and cost-effectiveness of chiropractic for low-back pain. Additionally, it found that higher patient satisfaction levels were associated with chiropractic care than with medical treatment alternatives. "Evidence from Canada and other countries suggests potential savings of hundreds of millions annually," the Magna Report states. "The literature clearly and consistently shows that the major savings from chiropractic management come from fewer and lower costs of auxiliary services, fewer hospitalizations, and a highly significant reduction in chronic problems, as well as in levels and duration of disability."

Chiropractic Is Scientific, Safe, And Effective

The New Zealand Commission of Inquiry is a 377 page, 2-year study that is "probably the most comprehensive and detailed independent examination of chiropractic ever undertaken in any country." The government commission concluded that spinal adjusting is a vital, very safe and clinically effective form of health care. Excerpts from the Commission's report follow:

"We entered into our inquiry in early 1978. We had no clear idea what might emerge. We knew little about chiropractors. None of us had undergone any personal experience of chiropractic treatment. If we had any general impression of chiropractic it was probably that shared by many in the community: that chiropractic was an unscientific cult, not to be compared with orthodox medical or paramedical services."

"By the end of the of the inquiry we found ourselves irresistibly and with complete unanimity drawn to the conclusion that modern chiropractic is a soundly-based and valuable branch of the health care in a specialized area..."

Specific conclusions of the Commission's report, based on investigations in New Zealand, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, were as follows:

• Chiropractic is firmly rooted in scientific research.

• Chiropractors carry out spinal diagnosis and therapy at a sophisticated and refined level.

• Chiropractors are the only health practitioners who are necessarily equipped by their education and training to carry out spinal manual therapy.

• General medical practitioners and physiotherapists have no adequate training in spinal manual therapy, though a few have acquired skill in it subsequent to graduation.

• Spinal manual therapy in the hands of a registered chiropractor is safe.

• The education and training of a registered chiropractor are sufficient to enable him to determine whether the patient should have medical care instead of or as well as chiropractic care.

• Spinal manual therapy can be effective in relieving musculoskeletal symptoms such as back pain, and other symptoms known to respond to such therapy, such as migraine.

Chiropractic Is Twice As Effective As Medical Care

During a lawsuit between the American Medical Association and the Chiropractic Profession, the AMA claimed that chiropractic care was ineffective. Judge Getzendanner rejected the AMA's claims, and cited scientific studies that showed that "chiropractic care was twice as effective as medical care in relieving many painful conditions of the neck and back as well as related musculoskeletal problems."

Since the court's findings and conclusions were released, an increasing number of medical doctors, hospitals, and health care organizations in the U.S. have begun to include the services of chiropractors.

Chiropractic Improves Various Health Disorders

In a study titled Mechanisms of Physiological Responses to Chiropractic Adjustments conducted by Webster and Alattar, chiropractic adjustments were found to:

• Decrease blood pressure in normal and hypertensive individuals.

• Increase pulmonary vital capacity and velocity of expiration in normal volunteers and patients with asthma.

• Relieve symptoms of inflammation in Osteoarthritis.

• Improve intestinal and urinary functions.

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