Chiropractic Care is as Effective as Multidisciplinary Care for Low Back Pain Relief

IC was delivered by a team of six different provider types: acupuncturists, chiropractors, psychologists, exercise therapists, massage therapists, and primary care physicians, with case managers coordinating care delivery. Interventions included acupuncture and Oriental medicine (AOM), spinal manipulation or mobilization (SMT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exercise therapy (ET), massage therapy (MT), medication (Med), and self-care education (SCE).

CC care was delivered by chiropractors who performed SMT and spinal mobilization. Chiropractors also used hot and cold packs, soft tissue massage, teach and supervise exercise, and administer exercise and self-care education materials at their discretion.

The IC group reported greater percentage reductions of pain intensity than the CC group, but they were generally small (< 10%)

The common interventions in both were SMT, exercise, and education. These seem to form the core of a good management program. While a formal cost-effectiveness analysis has yet to be performed, I would postulate that the Chiropractic care program is less costly.

https://chiromt.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12998-022-00419-3?fbclid=IwAR0hBhpAMg3VPgTbtP_v1m6tVWQrJZ2xcABgxuS6LAjpl8gcGWfYH51wl9M