Dr. Allan Horowitz, published newspaper article, Richmond Hill Liberal, Copyright November 28, 1990


In last week’s column I previewed two studies done to determine the effects of two different forms of therapy which are commonly used to treat lower back pain.

The first study was reported in the British Medical Journal (June 2, 1990) and the second was reported in the New England Journal of Medicine (June 7, 1990). Both of these studies are outlined and their conclusions are commented on in a publication titled the “Harvard Medical School Health Letter” which is published monthly by the Harvard Medical School Health Information Group in Boston, Mass.

The first study took people from 11 different towns in England, all who suffer from lower back pain and had them x-rayed and examined. These people were then randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: a chiropractic clinic or a medical clinic.

Three hundred and thirty-nine people were treated at the medical clinics and 378 at chiropractic clinics. Most patients in the medical group received some form of physiotherapy and exercises. Most who went to the chiropractic clinics received manipulation and a few were also told to do exercises, wear a corset or given traction.

The results showed that the chiropractic treatment took longer (a maximum of 30 weeks, compared to a maximum of 12 weeks for the medical group) and involved 44 per cent more sessions. It was also more expensive ($280 for the full course of treatments, compared to $190 for the medical group). Once the treatment was complete, researchers judged and evaluated the patients according to how much pain they were having, how much weight they could lift and the length of time they could remain sitting comfortably upright.

The research clearly showed that the patients who were treated by the chiropractors were significantly better six months after treatment and they remained that way during the two years of follow-up evaluations. In the second year after treatment, fewer chiropractic patients than those treated in the medical clinics needed to take time off work because of back pain.

Previous studies showed that chiropractic treatment is beneficial for those who have pain of recent origin, but this study clearly shows the benefits for chronic back pain patients as well. As a matter of fact, this study showed the best results were obtained in those who had severe pain when they entered the study and in those who have had previous incidents of lower back pain.

I present the results of this study not to show how effective chiropractic therapy is for people who suffer from back pain. The purpose of my weekly column is not to promote the chiropractic profession, but rather it is to enlighten, entertain and interest my readers. If this study had showed the opposite results, I still would have presented it to you.

My point here is to show that the major medical scientists are spending more time, effort and money than ever before investigating the various treatments for lower back pain.

They are reporting the results in the best medical journals in the world. Doctors are now taking a more enlightened approach to treatment of lower back pain and more patients are being helped as a result. This is good.