Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic Explains the Value of Chiropractic Research
Research makes the healthcare world go ‘round! Research established the role of healthcare’s relief of pain. For chiropractic healthcare, much research revolves around documenting chiropractic’s benefit for painful musculoskeletal pain issues like back pain, neck pain, arm pain and sciatic leg pain. Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic offers just such research-documented, effective care to our Montreal chiropractic patients.
CHALLENGE: DO HIGH QUALITY RESEARCH
A group of back pain researchers challenged fellow researchers to develop long-term plans to decrease the problem of low back pain on sufferers and healthcare systems. They explained that developing effective strategies remains a huge task for back pain clinicians, doctors, and researchers. Frustratingly, back pain disability levels have not increased despite a larger number of published research papers about back pain care. No consensus on the optimal way to handle low back pain has been agreed upon. Non-drug and non-invasive methods like exercise, manual therapy, massage, and such are general recommendations. Another set 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 especially challenging. (Just touching a spine can be relieving some, but that’s a topic for another article!) Observational studies are the next best thing. How so? Researchers observe how patients respond when they undergo treatment and describe changes and effects. Fortunately, Cox® Technic research has a blend of biomechanical and clinical observational studies resulting in case reports, case series, as well as retrospective and prospective clinical studies. Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic feels this mix of research support helps define to our Montreal chiropractic patients what clinical outcome relief they may expect.
MINIMAL CLINICAL IMPORTANCE
On occasion, chiropractic physicians and low back pain patients alike are disappointed with the outcomes of treatment for back pain. They shouldn’t be! In medicine, the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) is reported 30% or 20% and even 10% improvement. That is reported to be an “effective” outcome. Cox® Technic has offered 50% improvement in 30 days as the goal…and still does. Often, chiropractic patients realize that 50% relief in fewer than a month and that the 50% relief is more like 70% or 80% or 90%! Sometimes, a patient’s response may be slower in attaining relief or only reaches 30% or 40%. Some patients desire more while others, especially patients who have already undergone back surgery or sought non-relieving care from many other providers, are quite satisfied. A study of 1232 low back pain subjects found a MCID pain intensity of 2 (meaning a 2 point change on a scale of 0 no pain to 10 worst imaginable pain). That is not a big move but is reasonable. (2) It is a statistic to consider. Compared with medical and surgical outcomes for back pain treatment that are as low as 10% or 30% expected improvement MCID, our Montreal 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, experiences a little more effort in keeping research flowing as many programs are not in large university situations with well-established and well-financed research departments. Global chiropractic researchers are seeking am amswer. Australia, Canada, and Denmark chiropractic researchers have created a leadership academy (CARL – Chiropractic Academy for Research Leadership) for early-career chiropractic researchers to promote more chiropractic research. US-based researchers are turning to the RAND Corporation’s Center for Collaborative CIH Research to combine research talent and assets to advance chiropractic’s quality and quantity of research. (3,4) Solid research carries on at chiropractic universities to document the benefits of chiropractic for musculoskeletal-related pain like back pain, neck pain, arm pain and leg pain.
CONTACT Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic
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 of which he’s been a part.
Schedule your next Montreal chiropractic appointment today. Bring your questions about the research behind our chiropractic care with you! Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic is always ready to share research!
