Quality of Life Improved for US Service Members When Chiropractic is Added to Medical Care
A research study published on January 21, 2022, published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, found that the outcomes were better when chiropractic care was added to usual medical care for lower back pain in U.S. servicemen. The title of the study is, "Health-related quality of life among United States service members with low back pain receiving usual care plus chiropractic care plus usual care vs usual care alone: Secondary outcomes of a pragmatic clinical trial."
The study begins by explaining just how large a problem lower back pain is. "Low back pain (LBP) is the primary cause of years lived with disability worldwide for the past 3 decades across 126 of 195 countries." The study continues, "As a result, 5 back and neck pain currently account for the highest healthcare expenditures in the United States 6 (U.S.), estimated at $134.5 billion in 2016." The authors also note that standard medical care may not an effective treatment. "The current literature shows that commonly used therapies, ranging from opioids to spinal fusions, can lead to serious side effects with little impact on the pain experience."
The study reports that over half of the adults in the U.S. have received care from a chiropractor. Also, members of the military have a high rate of lower back pain.
This study was designed to look at the impact of adding chiropractic care to usual medical care for members of the military suffering with back pain. Researchers also looked at the overall health-related quality of life of those service members to see what other effects the chiropractic care had on their lives.
The study was conducted at 3 military treatment facilities with a total of 750 active-duty military personnel with low back pain. The care reviewed was over a 6-week period. The patients and their clinicians determined if care was to include standard medical care only, or the addition of chiropractic care. Those in the medical-only group were asked to refrain from receiving any chiropractic care during the time of the study.
Numerous questions about daily life and the effect their lower back was having on their life was recorded initially, during care, and at the completion of the 6-week period. The results were then compared between the two groups to see if the addition of chiropractic care to the standard medical care had a positive effect on the lower back pain and the overall quality of life of the servicemember.
The results showed that at the 6-week point, those participants who also got chiropractic care in addition to the standard medical care got "significantly better" results as compared to those that just received the medical care. This improvement was not only seen with the lower back pain, but also in most all measures of quality of life that the researchers tested for.
In their conclusion, the researchers report on the wide range of health improvement by noting, "Findings from this pre-planned secondary analysis demonstrate that chiropractic care impacts health-related quality of life beyond pain and pain-related disability."