Layden Chiropractic Explains the Value of Chiropractic Research
Research makes the healthcare world go ‘round! Research established the role of healthcare’s relief of pain. In chiropractic healthcare, much research revolves around documenting chiropractic’s benefit for painful musculoskeletal conditions like neck pain, back pain, arm pain and sciatic leg pain. Layden Chiropractic delivers just such research-documented, effective care to our Plainville chiropractic patients.
CHALLENGE: DO HIGH QUALITY RESEARCH
One group of back pain researchers challenged fellow researchers to develop long-term plans to reduce the burden of low back pain on patients and healthcare systems. They described that developing effective strategies remains a huge job for back pain clinicians, doctors, and researchers. Vexingly, back pain disability levels have not increased despite a larger number of published research papers regarding back pain care. No consensus on the optimal way to manage low back pain has been agreed upon. Non-drug and non-invasive methods like exercise, manual therapy, massage, and such are typical 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’s a topic for a different article!) Observational studies are the next in line. How so? Researchers observe how patients respond 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, plus retrospective and prospective clinical studies. Layden Chiropractic feels this mix of research support helps outline the expectations our Plainville chiropractic patients may expect.
MINIMAL CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
Occasionally, chiropractic physicians and low back pain patients alike are disappointed with the outcomes of treatment for back pain. They shouldn’t be! In medicine, the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is defined as 30% or 20% and even 10% improvement. That is reported as an “effective” outcome. Cox® Technic has proposed 50% improvement in 30 days as the goal…and still does. Many times, 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 reaching relief or only reaches 30% or 40%. Some patients desire more while others, especially patients who have previously gone through back surgery or sought non-relieving care from many other providers, are excited. 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 huge move but is reasonable. (2) It’s a statistic to share. Weighed against medical and surgical outcomes for back pain treatment that are as low as 10% or 30% expected improvement MCID, our Plainville chiropractic clinical outcome objectives are high and often achieved.
THE CHALLENGE OF CHIROPRACTIC RESEARCH – AND HOW CHIROPRACTIC ANSWERS
Chiropractic, like other complementary and integrative healthcare professions, experiences a little more effort in keeping research flowing as many programs are not in large university settings with well-established and well-financed research departments. Global chiropractic researchers are seeking a solution. Australia, Canada, and Denmark chiropractic researchers have formed a leadership academy (CARL – Chiropractic Academy for Research Leadership) for early-career chiropractic researchers to promote more chiropractic research. US-based researchers are turning to the RAND Corporation’s Center for Collaborative CIH Research to assemble research talent and resources to elevate chiropractic’s quality and quantity of research. (3,4) Solid research continues at chiropractic universities to record the benefits of chiropractic for musculoskeletal-related pain like back pain, neck pain, arm pain and leg pain.
CONTACT Layden 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 illustrates research studies of which he’s been a part.
Make your next Plainville chiropractic appointment today. Bring your questions about the research supporting our chiropractic care with you! Layden Chiropractic loves to share research!
