spinal pain syndrome

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A clinical study conducted on Chronic Spinal Pain Syndromes (Lynton G. F. Giles, DC(C), PhD,a and Reinhold Müller, PhDb) shows that patients suffering from chronic spinal pain syndromes show greater improvement when they undergo chiropractic spinal manipulation treatments versus acupuncture or NSAID’s (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

The study was conducted on 1999 with 77 patients who do not show allergic reactions to NSAID’s or contraindication to manipulation. This study took place in Queensland Australia at Townsville Hospital. Patients were separated into 3 groups each getting different interventions. These interventions include needle acupuncture, chiropractic spinal manipulation and medications through NSAID’s. The study lasted for 30 days with chiropractic spinal manipulation showing statistically significant on patients spinal pain improvement. Patients were randomized for the type of intervention they will get, they were asked to draw envelopes with each containing one of the 3 color codes used to determine the type of intervention they will get.

Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation Showed better results

The study started by letting patients answer a questionnaire for their sociodemographic data. Questionnaires about the patients pain levels were also answered before and after the interventions took place. In the period of 4 weeks the patients were given specific treatments depending on their group, they were also asked to record the pain levels they feel each day. As the study concluded patients were asked to fill out questionnaire asking them for information about spinal pain reduction. As stated, chiropractic spinal manipulation patients showed greater pain improvement during the course of the study. Statistically, acupuncture and NSAID’s did not help much to improve patients pain.