ACA Targets 16,000 Neurologists with Latest Research on Neck Pain

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) today announced it has mailed copies of a report issued by the Task Force on Neck Pain and its Associated Disorders to more than 16,600 neurologists across the country. The seven-year, international, multidisciplinary study was published in the journal Spine and is designed to help health professionals apply the best available evidence to prevent, diagnose and manage neck pain. In the cover letter accompanying the study, ACA President Glenn Manceaux, DC, noted that ACA encourages evidence-based clinical practice and interprofessional cooperation in patient care. “There is growth in the referral of patients between chiropractors and neurologists and therefore, it is important that all practioners be on the same page regarding the most current research in treating this pervasive condition,” Dr. Manceaux said. In distributing the study findings, ACA worked closely with NCMIC, the nation’s leading provider of chiropractic malpractice insurance for doctors of chiropractic. The Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and its Associated Disorders considered almost 32,000 citations and performed critical appraisals of more than 1,000 studies in developing its 236-page report. The Task Force is an independent research group recognized by the United Nations and the World Health Organization. Task Force researchers found that some alternative therapies such as acupuncture, neck manipulation and massage are better choices for managing most common neck pain than many current practices. Also included in the short-list of best options for relief are exercises, education, neck mobilization, low-level laser therapy and pain relievers. In addition to its comprehensive review of the existing body of research on neck pain, the Task Force also initiated a new population-based, case-control and case-crossover study into the association between chiropractic care and vertebrobasilar artery (VBA) stroke. This Canadian study investigated associations between chiropractic visits and vertebrobasilar artery stroke and compared this with visits to primary care physicians and the occurrence of VBA stroke. The study — which analyzed a total of 818 cases of VBA stroke admitted to Ontario hospitals over a 9-year period (more than 100 million patient-years of observation) — concluded that VBA stroke is a very rare event and that the risk of VBA stroke associated with a visit to a chiropractor’s office appears to be no different from the risk of VBA stroke following a visit to a family physician’s office. To access the “Best Evidence Synthesis on Neck Pain: Findings” from The Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders, click here .