Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc Explains the Value of Chiropractic Research
Research makes the healthcare world go ‘round! Research grounds 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 neck pain, back pain, arm pain and sciatic leg pain. Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc offers just such research-documented, effective care to our Fort Wayne chiropractic patients.
CHALLENGE: DO HIGH QUALITY RESEARCH
One group of back pain researchers challenged fellow researchers to come up with long-term plans to lower the burden of low back pain on sufferers and healthcare systems. They clarified that developing effective strategies remains a huge job for back pain clinicians, doctors, and researchers. Frustratingly, back pain disability levels have not increased despite an increased quantity of published research papers regarding back pain care. No consensus on the best way to manage low back pain has been agreed upon. Non-drug and non-invasive options 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. Designing a “sham” protocol for spinal manipulation that seems like spinal manipulation is really challenging. (Just touching a spine can be relieving some, but that is a topic for another article!) 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, as well as retrospective and prospective clinical studies. Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc feels this mix of research support helps define to our Fort Wayne chiropractic patients what clinical outcome relief they may anticipate.
MINIMAL CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
Sometimes, chiropractic physicians and low back pain patients alike find themselves frustrated with the outcomes of treatment for back pain. They should not be! In medicine, the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is defined as 30% or 20% and even 10% improvement. That is reported to be 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 30 days and that the 50% relief is more like 70% or 80% or 90%! Sometimes, a patient’s response may be slower in getting relief or only reaches 30% or 40%. Some patients want more while others, especially patients who have previously undergone 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 change on a scale of 0 no pain to 10 worst imaginable pain). That’s not a huge move but is reasonable. (2) It is a statistic to consider. Weighed against medical and surgical outcomes for back pain treatment that are as low as 10% or 30% expected improvement MCID, our Fort Wayne chiropractic clinical outcome goals are high and frequently achievable.
THE CHALLENGE OF CHIROPRACTIC RESEARCH – AND HOW CHIROPRACTIC ANSWERS
Chiropractic, like other complementary and integrative healthcare professions, has a little more difficulty in maintaining a flow of research as many programs are not in large university situations with well-established and well-funded research departments. Global chiropractic researchers are looking for 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 stimulate more chiropractic research. US-based researchers are looking to the RAND Corporation’s Center for Collaborative CIH Research to assemble research talent and assets to advance chiropractic’s quality and quantity of research. (3,4) Strong research continues at chiropractic universities to document the benefits of chiropractic for musculoskeletal-related pain like back pain, neck pain, arm pain and leg pain.
CONTACT Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc
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 describes research studies he’s managed.
Make your next Fort Wayne chiropractic appointment today. Bring your questions about the research behind our chiropractic care with you! Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc is always ready to share research!