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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Is there any evidence for Chiropractic care?

    Related Topics
    Back & Neck Pain Pain Sports Injuries & Prevention
    Research to back up chiropractors? Randomised control trials for chiropractic, or any evidence to suggest they should can help?
    • 2 answers
    • Dr Ryan Hislop
    • Dr Nicholas Miller
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  • Dr Ryan Hislop

    Chiropractor

    Ryan Hislop is the Clinical Director at the Orange Chiropractic Health and Wellness Centre. As an experienced and evidence-based diagnostician, Ryan works largely by medical … View Profile

    Chiropractic treatment is multi-modal, encompassing soft tissue therapies, exercise, advice, electrophysical therapies, sports therapy, taping, spinal manipulative therapy along with a range of low fore non manipulative techniques. Essentially, chiropractors are health care professions that specialise in spinal health and it's impact on the nervous system. 

    Adjustments, which can involve spinal manipulative therpy, form the bulk of most chiropractors' day to day work. It is a therapeutic intervention performed on the spinal joints to alleviate symptoms. This involves the Chiropractor applying tension to the patient's ligaments and then delivering a short thrust to increase the movment of the vertebra. The therapy works by increasing mobility and improving blood flow to help reduce inflammation. It also changes nerve function which can result in many other effects. 

    Now the question of evidence and Chiropractic's efficacy. A recent Cochrane Review  found that spinal manipulative therapy shows at an absolute minimum, that it's as effective as standard medical care or physiotherapy with an extremely low risk of side effects causing adverse reactions. 

    In 2007, the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society recommended guidelines for this Chiropractic treatment modality to be used for those suffering from chronic or sub acute low back pain.

    To date, 70 randomised control trials and 10 systematic reviews have been published to support this treatment in low back pain. 

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  • Dr Nicholas Miller

    Chiropractor

    Special interest include; Wellnes,nutrition, physical exercise, headaches and sports injuries. My aim is to improve the wellness and health of all my clients. View Profile

    Spinal manipulation is not limited to chiropractic, physiotherapist and even GP's can also perform it. Though it is chiropractic who are by far trained the most in it. As mentioned above chiropractors focus on the form and function of the spine and nervous system, using techniques such as spinal manipulation, soft tissue, joint mobilisations and rehabilitative exercises. Most studies assesing chiropractic are often in relation to spinal manipulation, which research supprts the use of for lower back pain.

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