The place of chiropractic care in the treatment of low back pain

Abstract

Indeed, the societal burden of musculoskeletal disorders transcends countries and cultures [17] and has paved the way for cooperative multidisciplinary efforts in the utilization of healthcare resources in search of the best management. To this extent, low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions in western society [80]. In the United States, $25 billion is spent annually on medical care services for back problems and another $50 billion is spent on lost productivity and disability payments [1]. Despite the high prevalence of LBP and the numerous conventional medical treatments used for this condition, few treatments are supported by strong scientific evidence [79]. The limited effectiveness and high costs of conventional medical treatments have contributed to a high level of utilization of complementary and alternative medical (CAM) therapies both in the United States and around the world [3, 33]. In fact, studies suggest that between 30 and 50% of the adult population in industrialized nations use some form of CAM to prevent or treat a variety of health-related problems [3]. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.