Lower Back Injuries and Chiropractic
A report on the scientific literature
By
William J. Owens DC, DAAMLP
Mark Studin DC, FASBE (C), DAAPM, DAAMLP
One of the most common areas of the body to be hurt while working is the lower back. The injuries can be as simple as a strained muscle or sprained ligament to the more complicated intervertebral disc injury. Regardless of the structures involved, most of us have had a personal experience with a lower back injury while working or know someone that did. Finding a doctor that can determine what exactly is wrong and prescribing the right treatment is the most important aspect of healing. Chiropractic doctors are trained to determine the cause of the injury and have the experience to formulate an accurate and effective treatment plan. The cornerstone of that plan is the Chiropractic Adjustment.
A recent research article published in 2009 revealed the results of 100 injured workers with back or neck pain that were treated with Chiropractic care. This study was in partnership with the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Lakewood Spine and Sports Center in Lakewood Colorado. The authors state in the research paper “Over the last 15 years, the percentage of pre-retirement disabled US workers has increased from 5% to 9% such that more people receive disability income that are unemployed”1. (This of course was published prior to the most recent economic downturn). They go on to note, “Consequently, finding treatment methods that encourage a safe and rapid return of the injured worker to the workforce is an important issue for all clinicians addressing occupational neck and low back pain.”1 (765)
Chiropractic care was shown in this review of 100 injured workers, 81.5% of patients with acute pain reported post treatment improvement! That is a very significant number. Chiropractic, especially when part of a larger integrated model is extremely safe and effective.
1. Donald Aspegren, DC, MS, Brian A. Enebo, DC, PhD, Matt Miller, MD, Linda White, MD, Venu Akuthota, MD, Thomas E. Hyde, DC, and James M. Cox, DC. FUNCTIONAL SCORES AND SUBJECTIVE RESPONSES OF INJURED WORKERS WITH BACK OR NECK PAIN TREATED WITH CHIROPRACTIC CARE IN AN INTEGRATIVE PROGRAM: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF 100 CASES. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2009;32:765-771