Low Back Pain and Chiropractic; Preventing Re-Occurences and Exacerbations

By

William J. Owens DC, DAAMLP

Mark Studin DC, FASBE (C), DAAPM, DAAMLP

 

 

Chiropractic and lower back pain has been one of the most commonly researched topics to date. There is a large volume of research showing that the Chiropractic Adjustment is effective for treating lower back pain, but what happens when that pain is relieved?   Many Chiropractic patients have known for a long time that Chiropractic care is effective in maintaining spinal health,  leading to a more functional and productive life. A recent research article published in 2004 confirmed why many Chiropractic patients choose to continue with their Chiropractic care after active treatment, BECAUSE IT WORKS! Just like going to the Dentist for regular cleanings or visiting your Family Doctor, Chiropractic “Check-ups” are an important part of a healthy spine regimen.  

In this paper being reviewed, the authors stated the purpose of the paper was “To document the potential role of maintenance chiropractic spinal manipulation [Chiropractic Adjustment] to reduce overall pain and disability levels associated with chronic low-back conditions after an initial phase of intensive chiropractic treatments”¹(p509).    They also state in the paper “A recent survey of American Chiropractors showed that 95.4% of Chiropractors believe that maintenance chiropractic care is used to minimize recurrence or exacerbation [flare-ups] of pain and symptoms”¹. (p510)

The paper concluded that “For the disability scores, however, only the group that was given spinal manipulations [Chiropractic Adjustment] during the follow up period maintained their post intensive treatment scores. The disability scores of the other group when back to their pretreatment levels”.¹ (p509)

This study has paved the way for additional studies into the long-term benefits of Chiropractic care and its influence on spinal health. If you are experiencing pain in the lower back, Chiropractic has been shown to be effective not only in the beginning treatment, but also in the maintenance of those results. 

 

1.       Martin Descarreaux, Jean-Sebastien Blouin, March Drolet, Stanislas Papadimitriou and Norman Teasdale. Efficacy of Preventive Spinal Manipulation for Chronic Low-Back Pain and Related Disabilities: A Preliminary Study. Journal of Manipulation and Physiological Therapeutics, Volume 27, Number 8. 2004