Are Chiropractors Protecting Patients From Medical Care?

"Chiropractors might be preventing some of their patients from receiving procedures of unproven cost utility value or dubious efficacy." This quote comes from the latest study revealing chiropractic's superiority to "traditional medical approaches." Titled "Health Maintenance Care in Work-Related Low Back Pain and Its Association With Disability Recurrence," the study was published in the April 2011 issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

The study compares "physical therapy, chiropractic and (medical) physician services" as they relate to disability and health maintenance. As our front-page article underscores, investigators found that "the likelihood of recurrent disability due to LBP (low back pain) for recipients of services during the health maintenance care period by all other provider groups was consistently worse when compared with recipients of health maintenance care by chiropractors."

The authors state that "by visiting only or mostly a chiropractor or becoming a chiropractic loyalist, the patients do not receive other traditional medical approaches." While this is obvious, it is no less significant because those who do receive traditional medical care experienced a greater likelihood of recurrent disability.

What makes the quote at the beginning of this article even more interesting is that the "procedures of unproven cost utility value and dubious efficacy" are those offered by the MDs and PTs. What will make this point even more powerful to most readers is that the lead author of this study is himself a medical doctor.

A few paragraphs later, the authors note that "the only and mostly chiropractic group during the disability episode and health maintenance care periods and 'chiropractic loyalists' during both periods combined had fewer surgeries, used fewer opioids, and had lower costs for medical care than the other provider groups." Could low back pain "surgeries" and "opioids" (as well as other drugs) be considered among the "procedures of unproven cost utility value and dubious efficacy" the authors were referring to?

For more information or to schedule an appointment please contact Morris Family Chiropractic at 440-639-9171 or visit our website www.Morriswellness.com

And remember a healthy spine means a healthier you!