A study published in The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, showed that people who used what the study called Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) received a “great deal” of benefit. Chiropractic was included in what this medical study defined as CAM care.

The study surveyed people who had suffered from back pain and had used at least one CAM therapy in the last 12 months. Of these participants, the results showed that over 60 per cent found remarkable relief using the top six CAM treatments. Those treatments were chiropractic care, massage, yoga/tai chi/qi Cong, accupuncture, herbal therapies, and relaxation techniques – with chiropractic care being the most popular choice.

The Medical News Today reported that back pain is the second leading reason people walk into a doctor’s office.

Gerard Clum, Foundation for Chiropractic Progress spokesperson and president of Life Chiropractic College West noted: “What we are seeing with these studies is compelling evidence that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for back pain sufferers and that light is chiropractic care and other CAM approaches”.

One of the interesting findings of the study was that an overwhelming number of the people in the survey did not go to a CAM practitioner because of a referral from a medical doctor.