Chiropractic for Chronic Spinal Pain

     A randomized clinical trial published in the research journal Spine demonstrated that chiropractic manipulation is superior to needle acupuncture and "medication."  The results of a follow-up study were recently released in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, showing patient improvement over one year after care was initially provided.
     The 2003 study examined care for patients with more than 13 weeks of spinal pain.  The results of the study found that the highest proportion of early recovery was found for manipulation, followed by acupuncture and then medication.  The chiropractic manipulation group achieved the best overall  results for chronic neck and low back pain.  Medication did not achieve a marked improvement in chronic spinal pain and caused an adverse reaction in 6.1% of the patients.
     The results of the follow-up study demonstrated that comparisons of initial and follow-up questionnaires to assess absolute efficacy showed that only the application of spinal manipulation revealed a broad-based, long-term benefit.  Further statistical testing revealed that only in the manipulation group, 5 of the 7 observed improvements were significant which compares with only 1 item in the acupuncture and the medication groups.  The medication group, again, did not achieve an improvement in chronic spinal pain.
     Overall, patients who have chronic mechanical spine pain syndromes and received spinal manipulation gained significant, broad-based benefits, both short-term and long-term.  In patients with chronic spinal pain syndromes, spinal manipulation, if not contraindicated, may be the only treatment modality of the assessed regimens that provides broad and significant long-term benefit.
     Shown on our website is what we refer to as a "Gift of Health."  This "Gift" allows a person consultation, examination and recommendation without charge or obligation.

Thatcher Chiropractic is located at 3535 American Drive in Colorado Springs, Colorado 80917 near the intersection at Austin Bluffs Parkway and Academy Boulevard. For more information you can visit our website at thatcherchiropractic.com.  If you have additional questions or wish to schedule an appointment, please contact us by phone.  You can reach us at (719) 574-3700.