El. Hurwitz, THE RELATIVE IMPACT OF CHIROPRACTIC VS MEDICAL-MANAGEMENT OF LOW-BACK-PAIN ON HEALTH-STATUS IN A MULTISPECIALTY GROUP-PRACTICE, Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics, 17(2), 1994, pp. 74-82
Purpose: The objective of the study was to compare chiropractic manage
ment and medical management of low back pain of musculoskeletal etiolo
gy in a multispecialty group practice. Study Design: The design was a
retrospective cohort study in which the subcohorts were defined by sou
rce of low back pain care and identified before follow-up was complete
. Data collection occurred at the end of the third month following the
ir initial visits. One hundred and three chiropractic patients and 187
medical patients aged 16 or greater who had not been treated within t
he preceding month of their initial visit participated. Main Findings:
A greater proportion of chiropractic than medical patients perceived
their treatment to be successful (RR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.29, 2.82), had
0 days with low back pain during the week preceding the evaluation (R
R = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.00, 2.59), and had no functional impairment due t
o low back pain after 3 months following their initial visit according
to the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RR = 1.42, 95% CI = 0.
81, 2.50). General health status was similar for both chiropractic and
medical patients. Conclusions: Chiropractic care was at least as effe
ctive as medical care in reducing low back pain and functional disabil
ity due to low back pain. Chiropractic patients were more likely to pe
rceive their treatment to be successful in reducing low back pain comp
ared to medical patients.