Study: Active Duty Military with Low Back Pain Show Significant Improvement from Chiropractic Care

“Chiropractic care is an important option to consider for musculoskeletal disorders—the most prevalent pain complaint in the military.”

Wayne B. Jonas, MD

President and CEO

Samueli Institute

A study published in the scientific journal Spine in 2013 shows that active duty military who receive chiropractic care along with standard medical care for low back pain have a significant reduction in acute pain compared to colleagues who get standard care only.

Patients receiving chiropractic care also reported improved physical function. The study is the result of a randomized controlled trial, the gold standard in scientific evidence for health care policy, which took place over a period of 18 months at William Beaumont Army Medical Center (WBAMC), Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas. Participants were 91 active-duty military personnel between 18 and 35 years old.

Samueli Institute funded the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research to conduct the study to learn what works and to put good practices into use.

“It is critical that we continue to explore drug-less approaches to reduce pain,” said Wayne B. Jonas, MD, President and CEO of Samueli Institute. “Chiropractic care is an important option to consider for musculoskeletal disorders—the most prevalent pain complaint in the military.”

Patients with acute low back pain receiving a combination of chiropractic manipulative therapy and standard medical care experienced a statistically and clinically significant reduction in their back pain and improved physical functioning when compared to those receiving standard medical care alone.

“This is a significant step for recognizing the value of chiropractic care in the military,” said Col. Richard Petri, Chief of the Interdisciplinary PainManagement Center (IPMC) at WBAMC. “Continued research in this area will ultimately result in better healthcare delivery systems as well as the improved health of our beneficiaries.”

The study was conducted by Samueli Institute and Palmer College of Chiropractic. The project was funded by Samueli Institute, out of grant #MDA905-03-C-0003 received from Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this report are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official Department of the Army position, policy or decision unless so designated by other documentation.

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VA Research Update: Back Pain Treatments

This article appears in the Spring 2015 edition of Veterans’ Wellness - A Guide to Healthy Living for Veterans in Upstate New York[1]

Back pain - specifically lower back pain - is very common among Veterans and causes significant disability. Given the prevalence of this condition, the Canandaigua VA Medical Center is carrying out three studies to help identify effective treatments.

Results of two of the studies, which involved 380 Veterans from the Greater Rochester area, were recently published in the journals Chiropractic &Manual Therapies  and Geriatric Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation. The third study is expected to be completed in December, according to Paul Dougherty, DC, staff chiropractor and chiropractic residency director at Canandaigua VA Medical Center and Institutional Review Board chair at Syracuse VA Medical Center.

“Our research so far shows that treatments including spinal manipulative therapy and active exercise can relieve lower back pain,” Dougherty says. In spinal manipulative therapy, a chiropractor applies pressure to the spine to promote movement in spinal joints that are not moving well. Active exercise is exercise patients perform on their own at a doctor’s direction.

Another finding is that fear of pain may actually make back pain worse. “It is important that people with lower back pain continue to remain active and engaged in their lives and not let the pain defeat them,” he says. “If you are suffering from lower back pain, talk to your VA provider about what treatment alternatives are best for you.”

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[1] DeLancey, Darlene A., M.S., and Kathleen Hider, eds. "VA Research Update: Back Pain Treatments." Veterans' Wellness Spring 2015: 11. Print.