October 6, 1995
Web posted at: 9:50 p.m. EDT
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- There is more than one way to heal a sore back. That's the finding of a new medical study on a problem that afflicts millions.
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine examines popular methods of treating back pain, comparing ordinary doctors with specialists and chiropractors.
For disabling lower back pain, the study indicates that the three specialties tie for effectiveness, but patients like chiropractors more. (103K QuickTime movie)
"The chiropractors did have outcomes that were as good as the M.D.'s, " says Timothy Carey, a doctor at the University of North Carolina and an author of the study. "The increased patient satisfaction appeared to relate to the chiropractors being able to give an explanation to patients that made sense to them as to what was causing their pain."
"I don't know if I can fully explain it to you; all I know is that it feels a whole lot better than it did before I came into the office," says patient Shahidah Madyun.
It's rare for doctors to acknowledge chiropractors, as they did in this study, and not all chiropractors are as forthright as Salih Baiith in admitting his limitations.
"When those problems arise that are out of my anatomical focus, then I'll make the necessary referral, so if there are other chiropractors who are treating this and treating that, I just suggest that they stick with their anatomical focus," Baiith says.
Chiropractors cannot prescribe drugs, and are sometimes faced with non-chiropractic problems. Baiith's solution is unusual. He has an internist on staff.
Baiith's assistant, Dr. Lillie Walker, says the two of them have combined medication and chiropractic to treat several patients who were unable to move at all.
In the short term, the study shows chiropractors offer no advantage over more elaborate treatment plans for lower back pain. And while just as effective as medical care, the study shows chiropractic treatment ends up costing patients more in time and dollars.
"What made the chiropractors more expensive in our study was they called the patients back for a lot more visits," Carey says.
Some patients end up paying for treatment out of their own pocket, since many insurance companies will not cover chiropractic care.
It's clear many patients prefer chiropractic over more conventional forms of treatment. But personal preferences aside, the authors of the study advise seeing a specialist for spinal conditions that endanger life or threaten paralysis.
Copyright © 1995 Cable News Network, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.