Johnson Chiropractic 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 providing evidence of chiropractic’s benefit for painful musculoskeletal conditions like back pain, neck pain, arm pain and sciatic leg pain. Johnson Chiropractic offers just such effective, research-documented care to our Richmond chiropractic patients.
CHALLENGE: DO HIGH QUALITY RESEARCH
One group of back pain researchers challenged fellow researchers to create long-term plans to reduce the problem of low back pain on patients and healthcare systems. They explained that developing effective strategies continues to be a daunting job for back pain clinicians, doctors, and researchers. Vexingly, 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 agreed upon. Non-drug and non-invasive approaches like exercise, manual therapy, massage, and such are general recommendations. Another group of reviewing researchers pointed to a few issues with back pain research: design and analysis within the treatment clinical trials. (1) Designing research studies is tough. Coming up with a “sham” protocol for spinal manipulation that seems like spinal manipulation is really challenging. (Just touching a spine can help some, but that is a topic for a different discussion!) Observational studies are the next in line. How so? Researchers observe what happens to patients when they go through treatment and make note of changes and effects. Fortuitously, Cox® Technic research has a mix of biomechanical and clinical observational studies resulting in case reports, case series, plus retrospective and prospective clinical studies. Johnson Chiropractic feels this mix of research support helps outline the expectations our Richmond chiropractic patients may anticipate.
MINIMAL CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
On occasion, chiropractic physicians and low back pain patients alike find themselves disappointed with the outcomes of treatment for back pain. They shouldn’t be! In medicine, the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is reported 30% or 20% and even 10% improvement. That’s reported to be an “effective” outcome. Cox® Technic has offered 50% improvement in 30 days as the aim…and still does. Often, chiropractic patients find that 50% relief in less than a month and that the 50% relief is closer to 70% or 80% or 90%! Sometimes, a patient’s response may be slower in attaining relief or only reaches 30% or 40%. Some patients want more while others, especially patients who have previously had back surgery or sought non-relieving care from many other providers, are quite satisfied. 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’s not a big move but is reasonable. (2) It’s a statistic to consider. Compared with medical and surgical outcomes for back pain treatment that are as low as 10% or 30% expected improvement MCID, our Richmond 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 in large university situations with well-established and well-funded research departments. Global chiropractic researchers are seeking am amswer. Australia, Canada, and Denmark chiropractic researchers have created a leadership academy (CARL – Chiropractic Academy for Research Leadership) for early-career chiropractic researchers to stimulate more chiropractic research. US-based researchers are looking 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) Strong 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 Johnson Chiropractic
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.
Make your next Richmond chiropractic appointment now. Bring your questions about the research behind our chiropractic care with you! Johnson Chiropractic loves to share research!
