As the US healthcare system continues to evolve, it’s becoming more common for medical doctors (MDs) and doctors of chiropractic (DCs) to work together as parts of an extended multidisciplinary or multi-specialty team. But over time, MDs have already had a great deal of exposure to chiropractic care, both as fellow professionals and as patients themselves. They understand based on their own experiences as well as clinical research that chiropractic care can have a profound effect on patients’ health and well-being when it comes to treating certain musculoskeletal problems—especially back and neck pain.
Following are just a few “notable quotes” from medical doctors who have shared their perspective on the effectiveness of chiropractic care in treating back and neck pain.
“The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) recently made history when it concluded that spinal manipulative therapy is the most effective and cost effective treatment for acute low back pain.”
Marc Micozzi, MD, PhD
College of Physicians and Surgeons of Philadelphia
“Our trial showed that chiropractic is a very effective treatment, more effective than conventional hospital outpatient treatment for low back pain, particularly in patients who have severe problems.”
T.W. Meade, MD
“I’m an orthopedic spine surgeon, so I treat all sorts of back problems and I’m a big believer in chiropractic. I’m more of a believer for acute problems like short-term back pain, although I know [chiropractic] can be helpful for some cases of more-chronic conditions.”
William Lauerman, MD
Chief of Spine Surgery and Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Georgetown University Hospital
“Most back pain can and should be treated conservatively. I have seen many cases of good chiropractic care result… I now proudly support my son in his choice to become a chiropractor.”
Rudy Kachman, MD
Neurosurgeon
“Manipulation designed to restore normal joint play, when its loss is the primary cause of symptoms, is the treatment of choice. No other therapeutic approach has any hope of predictably relieving such a patient’s symptoms.”
John Mennell, M.D.
Author of The Musculoskeletal System
“The benefits of manipulation in acute low back pain are well established in the literature.”
Arthur White, MD
Medical Director, San Francisco Spine Institute
Overall, chiropractic has the advantage of reducing pain, decreasing medication, and requiring fewer passive modalities.”
Andrew Cole, MD
Associate Clinical Professor of Rehabilitative Medicine, University of Washington
“Nobody in America should be allowed to have back surgery unless they have seen a Chiropractor first… My feeling is that somewhere around ninety percent of surgery is a waste of time, energy, money and life.”
Robert A. Mendelsohn, MD
Chairman, Medical Licensing Committee, State of Illinois
Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Illinois School of Medicine
“The spinal column is involved in disease wherever it occurs in the organism… The effect of successful manipulation (spinal adjustment) is two-fold: 1) it restores mobility, including joint play; and 2) it has a very intense reflex effect upon all structures where changes have been found prior to manipulation.”
Karel Lewit, MD
Neurologist
