How does chiropractic care for back pain stack up against medical care for back pain?

There are some cases of back pain that are caused by something pathological, like cancer, infections, or fractures. However, the vast majority of back pain is not life threatening, but rather quality-of-life threatening. Most cases of back pain are attributed to the dysfunction of the joints, muscles, ligaments, and nerves around the spine.

So the question is…. Should you see a chiropractor or a medical doctor for back pain? This is what a group of researchers set out to discover. The group included a chiropractor, a medical doctor, and a PhD (among others). What they found was that for acute back pain chiropractic care was slightly more effective than medical care. For chronic back pain chiropractic care proved to be significantly more effective than medical care. Additionally, the researchers stated the following; “In terms of relative effectiveness, chiropractic care demonstrated advantage over medical care for chronic patients in the first year, particularly for those with leg pain radiating below the knee.” The choice should be clear… if you have back pain, see your chiropractor!

Reference: Haas, Mitchell et al. A Practice-Based Study of Patients with Acute and Chronic Low Back Bain Attending Primary Care and Chiropractic Physicians: 2-Week to 48-Month Follow-Up. (J. Manipulative Physiol Ther 2004; 27:160-9)



Dr. Kauffman is a licensed chiropractor in Cincinnati, OH. He serves patients from around Cincinnati including the areas of Mason Ohio, Lebanon Ohio, West Chester Ohio, and Loveland Ohio.  Please call us today at 513-444-4529 for an appointment with your Cincinnati chiropractor, Dr. Kauffman.