Abstract
Objectives
The objectives of this study were to report on and evaluate the results of chiropractic
care for patients with low back pain in an orthopedic department.
Methods
The target group consisted of 44 consecutive patients who experienced sudden and painful
low back pain caused by lumbar flexion and rotation without axial loading. Clinical
and neurologic examinations by orthopedic surgeons revealed no pathology; in addition,
skeletal radiography, computerized tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging findings
were all normal. Diagnosis before hospitalization was acute sciatica in all cases.
Examination by the doctor of chiropractic indicated that the patients had lumbopelvic
fixation. According to preestablished inclusion and exclusion criteria, 33 patients
were treated in the chiropractor's clinic, whereas 11 who could not be transported
were initially treated by the chiropractor in the hospital. The mean follow-up was
2 years.
Results
All but two patients returned to work. The period of sick leave among the patients
was reduced by two thirds as compared with that associated with conventional medical
treatment.
Conclusions
To our knowledge, this is the first report on the work of a chiropractor participating
within an orthopedic department of a Norwegian hospital as initiated by the hospital
and with full support of the staff. The results support the initiative of the Norwegian
government to increase reference to chiropractors in treating patients with neuromusculoskeletal
dysfunctions. Based on our experience, we believe that the inclusion of chiropractors
within hospital orthopedic departments is feasible and provides a patient care resource
that may benefit not only the patients but also the department as a whole.
Key Indexing Terms
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
September 13,
2006
Received in revised form:
July 11,
2006
Received:
April 5,
2006
Identification
Copyright
© 2007 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
