Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers Explains the Value of Chiropractic Research
Research makes the healthcare world go ‘round! Research solidifies the role of healthcare’s pain relieving ability. In chiropractic healthcare, much research entails documenting chiropractic’s benefit for painful musculoskeletal pain issues like back pain, neck pain, arm pain and sciatic leg pain. Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers delivers just such research-documented, effective care to our Baton Rouge chiropractic patients.
CHALLENGE: DO HIGH QUALITY RESEARCH
A group of back pain researchers challenged fellow researchers to develop long-term plans to lower the problem of low back pain on patients and healthcare systems. They explained that developing effective strategies remains a huge job for back pain clinicians, doctors, and researchers. Frustratingly, back pain disability levels have not increased despite an increased quantity of published research reports regarding back pain care. No consensus on the best way to handle low back pain has been agreed upon. Non-drug and non-invasive options like exercise, manual therapy, massage, and such are typical recommendations. Other reviewing researchers indicated a few issues with back pain research: design and analysis within the treatment clinical trials. (1) Designing research studies is tough. Designing a “sham” protocol for spinal manipulation that feels like spinal manipulation is really challenging. (Just touching a spine can help some, but that is a topic for another discussion!) Observational studies are the next in line. How so? Researchers observe what happens to patients when they go through treatment and describe changes and effects. Fortuitously, Cox® Technic research has a mix of biomechanical and clinical observational studies resulting in case reports, case series, as well as retrospective and prospective clinical studies. Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers feels this mix of research support helps explain to our Baton Rouge chiropractic patients what clinical outcome relief they may expect.
MINIMAL CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
On occasion, chiropractic physicians and low back pain patients alike are disappointed 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 to be an “effective” outcome. Cox® Technic has offered 50% improvement in 30 days as the goal…and still does. Often, chiropractic patients realize that 50% relief in fewer than 30 days and that the 50% relief is closer to 70% or 80% or 90%! Sometimes, a patient’s response may be slower in reaching relief or only reaches 30% or 40%. Some patients desire more while others, particularly patients who have previously gone through back surgery or sought non-relieving care from many other providers, are thrilled. A study of 1232 low back pain subjects discovered a MCID pain intensity of 2 (meaning a 2 point move 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 share. Compared with medical and surgical outcomes for back pain treatment that are as low as 10% or 30% expected improvement MCID, our Baton Rouge chiropractic clinical outcome goals are high and often achieved.
THE CHALLENGE OF CHIROPRACTIC RESEARCH – AND HOW CHIROPRACTIC ANSWERS
Chiropractic, like other complementary and integrative healthcare professions, has a little more effort in keeping research flowing as many programs are not incorporated into large university settings with well-established and well-funded research departments. Global chiropractic researchers are looking for 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 looking to the RAND Corporation’s Center for Collaborative CIH Research to combine research talent and assets to advance chiropractic’s quality and quantity of research. (3,4) Robust research continues at chiropractic universities to document the benefits of chiropractic for musculoskeletal-related pain like back pain, neck pain, arm pain and leg pain.
CONTACT Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers
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 describes research studies he’s managed.
Make your next Baton Rouge chiropractic appointment now. Bring your questions about the research behind our chiropractic care with you! Medical Spine and Sports Injury and Rehab Centers loves to share research!
