Chiropractic care may help people with lower back pain

People with lower back pain who had chiropractic care as well as usual medical care reported moderate improvement in their pain intensity and disability compared with those who received usual medical care alone, a research group reports in JAMA Network Open.

A total of 750 active-duty US service members enrolled in a clinical trial. Over a six week period, all of the volunteers received usual medical care, which included self-care, medications, physical therapy and pain clinic referral. But half also had chiropractic care, which is spinal manipulation in the low back and adjacent areas plus additional procedures such as rehabilitative exercise, cryotherapy, superficial heat and other manual therapies.

The results were promising for chiropractic care.

“Changes in pain intensity and disability reported by US military personnel in this clinical trial that supports usual medical care plus chiropractic care for low back pain are consistent with existing literature on spinal manipulation therapy in both military and civilian populations,” the authors conclude.

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