Yes, Science Says Your Chiropractor Can Help Solve Your Back Pain

Study found chiropractor and traditional treatment can help.

Even though chiropractic care works wonders for some people, others are not convinced that it can be an effective treatment.

But research has shown that while chiropractic care hasn’t helped issues like asthma, it can be a huge help for painTrusted Source, especially in the lower back.

A recent studyTrusted Source in JAMA Network Open focused on U.S. military personnel. It found that those who used chiropractic care — along with traditional medical care — had better pain relief outcomes than those who only sought out traditional medical care.

It’s a key finding for this group since low back pain is one of the leading causes of disabilityTrusted Source among U.S. military personnel.

Chiropractic care can include different forms of spinal manipulation commonly known as adjustments. Not all chiropractic care involves cracking bones directly. One technique uses a handheld device called an activator, a gentler way to align your spine. Another involves moving the table to align the patient’s body.

This care is different than the typical medical remedies for back pain which include anti-inflammatory medications, opioids, spinal fusions, and epidural steroid injections.

But with the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States, the medical community is looking at alternative nonaddictive treatments.

What did the study researchers find out?

Between 2012 and 2016, a research team evaluated chiropractic care on 750 active-duty U.S. military service members. The mean age of participants was 30.9 years old.

The patients were put into two groups. One group received traditional medical care for back pain along with chiropractic care; the other group only received traditional care. While traditional care can include medication, the chiropractic care included spinal manipulation adjustments along with manual therapies such as ice, heat, cryotherapy, and rehabilitative exercises.

After six weeks, those who got both types of care reported moderately higher improvements in pain intensity and disability compared with those who only received traditional medical care.

“The current study provides the strongest evidence to date that chiropractic care is safe, effective, and results in high levels of patient satisfaction and perceived treatment benefit, thus strengthening our knowledge regarding this conservative nondrug option for low back pain,” Christine M. Goertz, DC, PhD, a chiropractor with the Spine Institute for Quality in Iowa, told Healthline.

In an accompanying editorialTrusted Source, Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD, a senior investigator at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, said the study will help medical experts better treat military personnel.

“This trial represents an important contribution to our minimal knowledge of the potential of chiropractic care to improve outcomes of care in military populations,” he wrote.

But, Cherkin said integrating chiropractic care into the military health system will require communication and referrals.

Doing so has the “potential for more effectively and efficiently serving patients,” he explained.

A successful military model could also help civilians get more access to chiropractic care as well.

Dr. Phil GainanD.C.

6960 Market St. 

Boardman,Ohio suite 1

330 m629-9476