Aaron Chiropractic Clinic Explains the Value of Chiropractic Research
Research makes the healthcare world go ‘round! Research established the role of healthcare’s pain relieving ability. In chiropractic healthcare, much research entails documenting chiropractic’s benefit for painful musculoskeletal conditions like back pain, neck pain, arm pain and sciatic leg pain. Aaron Chiropractic Clinic offers just such research-documented, effective care to our Fort Wayne chiropractic patients.
CHALLENGE: DO HIGH QUALITY RESEARCH
One set of back pain researchers challenged fellow researchers to create long-term plans to reduce the burden of low back pain on patients and healthcare systems. They described that developing effective strategies continues to be a daunting task for back pain clinicians, doctors, and researchers. Frustratingly, back pain disability levels have not improved despite an increased quantity of published research papers about back pain care. No consensus on the best way to manage low back pain has been achieved. Non-drug and non-invasive options like exercise, manual therapy, massage, and such are typical recommendations. Other reviewing researchers pointed to a few issues with back pain research: design and analysis within the treatment clinical trials. (1) Designing research studies is difficult. Designing a “sham” protocol for spinal manipulation that seems like spinal manipulation is really challenging. (Just touching a spine can be relieving some, but that is a topic for another discussion!) Observational studies are the next in line. How so? Researchers observe how patients respond when they undergo treatment and describe changes and effects. Fortunately, Cox® Technic research has a blend of biomechanical and clinical observational studies resulting in case reports, case series, as well as retrospective and prospective clinical studies. Aaron Chiropractic Clinic feels this mix of research support helps explain to our Fort Wayne chiropractic patients what clinical outcome relief they may anticipate.
MINIMAL CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
Sometimes, chiropractic physicians and low back pain patients alike are frustrated with the outcomes of treatment for back pain. They should not be! In medicine, the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is reported 30% or 20% and even 10% improvement. That is reported as an “effective” outcome. Cox® Technic has offered 50% improvement in 30 days as the aim…and still does. Often, chiropractic patients realize that 50% relief in fewer than a month and that the 50% relief is more like 70% or 80% or 90%! Sometimes, a patient’s response may be slower in reaching relief or only reaches 30% or 40%. Some patients want more while others, particularly patients who have already undergone back surgery or sought non-relieving care from many other providers, are excited. A study of 1232 low back pain subjects discovered a MCID pain intensity of 2 (meaning a 2 point change on a scale of 0 no pain to 10 worst imaginable pain). That is not a big move but is reasonable. (2) It is a statistic to consider. Weighed against medical and surgical outcomes for back pain treatment that are as low as 10% or 30% expected improvement MCID, our Fort Wayne chiropractic clinical outcome objectives are high and frequently achievable.
THE CHALLENGE OF CHIROPRACTIC RESEARCH – AND HOW CHIROPRACTIC ANSWERS
Chiropractic, like other complementary and integrative healthcare professions, experiences a little more difficulty in keeping research flowing as many programs are not in large university settings with well-established and well-financed research departments. Global chiropractic researchers are seeking a solution. Australia, Canada, and Denmark chiropractic researchers have created a leadership academy (CARL – Chiropractic Academy for Research Leadership) for early-career chiropractic researchers to promote more chiropractic research. US-based researchers are turning to the RAND Corporation’s Center for Collaborative CIH Research to pool research talent and assets to elevate chiropractic’s quality and quantity of research. (3,4) Solid research carries on at chiropractic universities to record the benefits of chiropractic for musculoskeletal-related pain like back pain, neck pain, arm pain and leg pain.
CONTACT Aaron Chiropractic Clinic
Listen to this PODCAST with Ram Gudavalli, PhD, principal investigator of many Cox® Technic research studies, on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he explains research studies of which he’s been a part.
Schedule your next Fort Wayne chiropractic appointment soon. Bring your questions about the research supporting our chiropractic care with you! Aaron Chiropractic Clinic is always ready to share research!
