The Efficacy of Chiropractic Care for Treating Low Back Pain

While there may be some individuals out there who would argue that chiropractic care has little evidence to support its methodologies, this is simply not the case. The scientific community has been studying the impact of chiropractic care in treating patients for decades. More research continues to emerge year after year in support of the efficacy of chiropractic care. For lower back pain in particular, chiropractic treatments may be among your very best available options.

Emerging Institutional Support for Chiropractic Care

Over the years, studies have demonstrated that spinal manipulation performed by a certified, professional chiropractor can work as effectively as physical therapy techniques (if not more so) to provide moderate relief for low-back pain. Since 2010, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has stood by their stance that spinal manipulation can be an effective, complementary health therapy to conventional treatment options for both back and neck pain issues. Their own organizational research has shown that it can even be as effective as pharmaceutical medications for pain relief.

The Ongoing Scientific Evidence Supporting Chiropractic Care’s Efficacy

While we might not be entirely certainly how each aspect of chiropractic care impacts the body as a whole, research continue to study the positive effects of these proven approaches. Looking specifically at the effects of spinal manipulation for low-back pain, there has been a wealth of published evidence in recent years:

• In a 2011 journal review examining 26 clinical trials exploring the effectiveness of various types of treatments, researchers concluded that spinal manipulation was as effective as other popular forms of intervention for minimizing chronic low-back pain and improving function. A more current 2017 systematic review and meta-analysis has re-affirmed these findings as well.
• A 2008 review looked at spinal manipulation for chronic low-back pain and discovered strong scientific evidence that spinal manipulation can work as effectively as other treatment options, if not more so. Spinal manipulation in tandem with strengthening exercises can work as well as prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with exercises, and perhaps even better than physical therapy and at-home exercises.

• In the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, researchers found that individuals reported less lower back pain compared to conventional approaches. Patients with chronic low-back pain demonstrated over 4x as much satisfaction and pain improvements receiving chiropractic care compared to treatment by family physicians.

The evidence supporting chiropractic care for the treatment of low back pain is clear. If you or someone you love is suffering from low-back pain, pick up the phone and do something about it today. Call one of Dr. Keren H. Gomez’s offices today and schedule an appointment (Dade: 305-761-6528, Broward: 954-510-5518, or Palm Beach: 561-414-2401). You could also send us an email at [email protected].