Effectiveness of Chiropractic

A study comparing medical and chiropractic care for treatment of identical back injuries found that the number of work days lost was ten times higher for medical patients than for chiropractic patients. In addition, compensation costs for work time lost averaged $68 for chiropractic versus $668 for medical patients.
- Journal of Occupational Medicine August 1991, Vol. 33, # 8.

Spinal manipulation by chiropractors more effective than other treatments for low-back pain - The results of this intensive study of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of chiropractic (initiated and funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health) showed that in addition to being cost-effective, chiropractic is more clinically effective than other accepted treatments of low-back pain. - The Ontario Ministry of Health, Ottawa, Canada August 1993

Research in Great Britain, conducted by T.W. Meade, a medical doctor, compared chiropractic treatment and hospital outpatient treatment consisting of corset wearing and standard physical therapy, for low-back pain. The study concluded that for patients with low-back pain in whom manipulation is not contraindicated, chiropractic almost certainly confers worthwhile, long-term benefits in comparison to standard hospital outpatient management.
- British Medical Journal, Volume 300, June 2, 1990

Chiropractic Patients in North Carolina Highly Satisfied. In this study, 4,438 adult residents of North Carolina were contacted by telephone. Of those interviewed who had suffered at least one episode of severe acute low back pain in the previous year, 13 percent sought care from a chiropractic, 24 percent sought care from a medical doctor, and 61 percent sought no care at all. The results of the study were that compared to those who sought care from medical doctors, those who sought care from a chiropractor were more likely to feel that treatment was helpful (99% vs. 80%), more likely to be satisfied with their care (96% vs. 84%), and less likely to seek care from another provider for that same episode of pain (14% vs. 27%)
-Spine, Volume 21, Number 3, 1996

Florida Worker's Compensation Study, A 1988 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 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."