See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4824594.stm
Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) is used by many healthcare professionals as well as quacks for the treatment of back pain, as it is known to be efficacious.
This study, however, looked at the use of SMT for the treatment of “period pain, colic, asthma, allergy and dizziness - as well as back and neck pain”. Unsurprisingly, SMT did not prove effective for anything other than back pain, and even then, it was no better than conventional treatments.
It’s an interesting finding as the one (and only) thing that Chiropractors may be useful for is the treatment of lower-back pain. This finding now shows that their use of SMT is no better than conventional treatments.
This also highlights the problem of regulation and the perception of authenticity. Chiropractic and Osteopathy may be regulated, but that does not prove that they work.Professor Edzard Ernst, who led the review, said: "There is little evidence that spinal manipulation is effective in the treatment of any medical condition.
"The findings are of concern because chiropractors and osteopaths are regulated by statute in the UK.
"Patients and the public at large perceive regulation as proof of the usefulness of treatment.
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Here's a link to Edzard Ernst being interviewed on Radio4: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/li...e_20060322.ram
This was the interview on the Jeremy Vine show: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio...o2/r2_vine_wed
The links will probably expire at some point.
For the Jeremy Vine link the interview is about 5 minutes into the show. There's an appalling anecdote to begin with and the Osteopath was a bit of a twerp (IMO).
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If you need interventions on your back, my first choice would be a physiotherapist.
If you follow the excercise program that is planned for you, It can be domonstrated that your musculer function undergoes improvement, this can often lead to the relief of the presenting symptoms.
I had much knee pain following trauma. After my arthroscopy I stuck at my physio excercises and not only retuned my muscles to 90% of age and weight expectation( based on a computer model linked to a joint resistance generating machine) but also reduced my pain score from and 8/9 VAS to a 0/1.
Years later I was again back to 7/8 after a bad fall, and yet this time with intensive physio alone reduced it back to a 0/1 score.
The problem with chiropractic regulation was further highlighted in a letter which was published by the Times yesterday. It was from Margaret Coats, Chief Executive of the General Chiropractic Council, who was responding to an opinion piece on the regulation of CAM by Professor David Colquhoun (http://dcscience.net/?p=251 ).Originally Posted by John Jackson
In her letter, Ms Coats asserted that “chiropractic is not a technique or a belief”:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/com...cle4648088.ece
Well, bearing in mind that chiropractic was founded on the belief that health can be restored and maintained by manipulating the spine to rid it of (hypothetical) 'subluxations', it is most unlikely that she is not acutely aware of the dubious activities of the McTimoney College of Chiropractors...
http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2008/08/role-of-uk-universities-in-chiropractic.html
...and that she hasn't read the results of a recent survey of UK chiropractors which revealed that traditional chiropractic *beliefs* were important to 76% of respondents, with a further 63% considering the chiropractic subluxation (a fictitious lesion) to be central to chiropractic intervention. The survey is linked to here:
http://dcscience.net/?p=248#comment-3164
In essence, her assertion that chiropractic is not “a belief” is wholly misleading, and can be nothing other than unacceptable when you consider that she is in charge of a body which has, as the main part of its remit, a duty to protect patients and set standards.
There is, however, something that can be done. According to a poster over at the Bad Science forums…
It would be nice if UKS members could help the existing chiropractic regulatory situation to be tightened up by responding to the above Consultation in a similar manner.The Department of Health is running a consultation on the constitution of the General Chiropractic Council.
It's not designed to ask any of the really interesting questions, of course, but I responded to suggest that of the 7 'professional ' Council members, a majority should come from the evidence based paradigm (i.e. health professionals who were not chiropractors), and that the training given to Council members should focus on evidence based medicine.
The closing date for responses is 3rd October 2008.
Forum members might like to reply – URL is
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_086209
Thank you.
Last edited by Blue Wode; 1st September 2008 at 11:40 AM.
I have had a couple of bouts of major back pain bad enough to put me on my back for a few days, unable to walk anywhere. In neither case was I lifting anything heavy, I just bent down to pick something up and collapsed in agony. For the first day or two I could only crawl, then I could make my way around the house bent double, hanging onto a sturdy stick with both hands.
On the second occasion, about ten years ago, I had several sessions with an NHS physio. These did not bring any obvious relief, and I formed the conclusion that the best treatment is simply time: the body will mend itself. However, I have followed her advice to use stretching exercises (touching my toes, followed by bending over backwards as far as I can) and I've had no problems since, so at the least that costs nothing and does no harm.
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