Cut Back on Pain Medication Say New Zealand Chiropractors

Media Release
Date: 2nd February 2012
Cut Back on Pain Medication Say New Zealand Chiropractors

New Zealanders should think twice before resorting to pain relief medication, the country’s chiropractors advised today. They point out that treatment by a qualified chiropractor and light exercise may be the best way to relieve neck pain, according to new research.

The New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association (NZCA) says the results stress that arthritis and muscular pain require more than just a drug-treatment approach.

A study, conducted by a team from Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minnesota, just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that chiropractic treatment results in better outcomes than common pain relief drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen.

The study involved more than 270 adults suffering from different types of neck pain, who were divided into three groups. One group had sessions with a chiropractor, and the second group took common pain medication. The third group was given advice from a chiropractor and encouraged to do a set of gentle exercises

Dr Hayden Thomas, chiropractor and spokesperson for the New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association explains: `After 12 weeks, the group that received spinal manual therapy from the chiropractor had significantly less pain than patients from the group that took pain medication.’

He points that the patients in the chiropractic and exercise groups maintained their improvement after one year, but that in addition to their limited pain relief, the people on medications kept taking them.

‘This is not a good approach. Taking these medications for up to a year can lead to all sorts of systemic side effects such as gastrointestinal problems; most frequently internal bleeding.’

It was found that 32% of the patients treated by a chiropractor and 30% of those who exercised reported being completely pain free, compared to just 13 per cent of the group treated with medication.

All three groups had pain relief, but spinal manipulation by a chiropractor was more effective than pain medication in both the short and long term. Home exercises were also effective at relieving pain after participants were given instructional sessions in stretching. The study is the first large federally funded study to compare the different treatments.

Dr Thomas adds: `As a professional association we welcome evidence based care. The perception of pain is very subjective but the large number of patients in this study reduces the influence of social and cultural factors. We believe that work like this will make it more likely that patients get appropriate treatment.’

Neck pain affects nearly 75 percent of the population and according to another recent study women consistently report experiencing more pain, for back and neck pain, knee and ankles strains, complications of HIV, and sinusitis. The results were reported online in the Journal of Pain.

For further information on the New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association visit www.chiropractic.org.nz.
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About the New Zealand Chiropractor's Association: The New Zealand Chiropractor's Association (NZCA) was founded in the 1930's. It is a voluntary, self-regulating, supervisory body serving both the chiropractic profession and the public of New Zealand. The purpose of the NZCA is to maintain professional standards, liaise with various government and health bodies, and to be a professional voice for chiropractic.

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