SAN DIEGO, Feb. 2, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On the heels of new research showing that spinal manipulation and exercise are effective in relieving neck pain, American Specialty Health (ASH), one of the nation's leading providers of chiropractic health care benefits, said today that the expansion of research in chiropractic care is leading to big changes in the way chiropractic medicine is practiced and perceived in the United States.
"Chiropractic care must evolve rapidly to meet the needs of patients, the demands of the scientific world and the challenges of healthcare reform," said George DeVries, CEO of American Specialty Health. "More and more, practitioners and advocates of chiropractic care have come to understand the necessity for scientific research and evidence-based practices to underpin their methodologies. The recent clinical study published January 3rd in The Annals of Internal Medicine showing that spinal manipulation and exercise can be more effective for neck pain than medications is another positive step that validates the important role of research in chiropractic medicine."
Spinal manipulations by a chiropractor, simple exercises and pain medicine have been popular treatment options for neck pain, which affects nearly 75 percent of the American population. However, previous scientific evidence did not provide a clear answer on which was more effective.
"There was a void in the scientific literature in terms of what the most helpful treatments are," said Dr. Roni Evans, one of the study investigators and research professor at Northwestern Health Sciences University. "So people are often afraid that they can further hurt themselves by doing the wrong thing."
The new research indicates that spinal manipulation is more effective at relieving neck pain in the long-term than medications. Further, a few instructional sessions in home exercise yield similar outcomes as spinal manipulation.
The Northwestern Health Sciences University study recruited 272 adults with neck pain that had no known specific cause. The researchers then split them into three groups and followed them for about three months. One group was assigned to visit a chiropractor for roughly 20-minute sessions throughout the course of the study, making an average of 15 visits. A second group was assigned to take common pain relievers like acetaminophen and, in some cases, stronger narcotics and muscle relaxants. The third group met on two occasions with therapists who gave them instructions on simple, gentle exercises for the neck that they could do at home. They were encouraged to do 5 to 10 repetitions of each exercise up to eight times a day. (A demonstration of the exercises can be found at www.annals.org).
After 12 weeks, the people in the non-medication groups did significantly better than those taking the drugs. About 57 percent of those who met with chiropractors and 48 percent who did the exercises reported at least a 75 percent reduction in pain, compared to 33 percent of the people in the medication group. What was impressive is that the patients in the chiropractic and exercise groups maintained their improvement after one year.
"The difference between spinal manipulation and medication diminished over time, but they were still present one year after the treatment began," said Dr. Evans.
Dr. Evans also noted that there was another downside to taking the medications: people kept taking them.
"The people in the medication group kept on using a higher amount of medication up to a year later," said Dr. Evans. "Taken over a long time, these medications can lead to serious side effects like gastrointestinal problems."
Dr. Evans also expressed enthusiasm for the exercise findings: "This study shows that a few simple exercises, coupled with the message to keep moving, can be very powerful."
"We think it's important that patients be empowered with multiple evidence-based options to care for their conditions," added DeVries. "New research in chiropractic care is making it possible for people to feel comfortable that they are choosing a therapy with strong evidence-based research behind it."
About American Specialty Health
American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH) is a national health services company that provides prevention and wellness services, specialty network management programs, and fitness and exercise services to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups, and trust funds. Based in San Diego, ASH has more than 800 employees and serves over 25.9 million members. For more information about ASH health and wellness programs, visit ASHCompanies.com or call (800) 848-3555. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/ASHCompanies.