Chiropractic is a system of manual medicine, whereby the body is maintained in good spinal alignment and functional biomechanics are applied in order to keep the good overall body alignment and allow optimal function. There is good evidence that this form of intervention is appropriate for relieving pain and musculoskeletal dysfunction. It has been shown to be safe, effective and cost-effective form of treatment for especially back pain, as well as neck pain and headaches.

Many patients find chiropractic treatment a suitable alternative to taking potentially harmful and addictive drugs as well as a better option than surgery. As chiropractic also focuses on wellness and prevention, many find it a useful complement to their lifestyles of reducing disease and optimizing their health.

Qualified chiropractors spend 5 years academic and one year of internship in my home country and are licensed as primary health care providers - meaning that patients do not ordinarily need referrals

COST EFFECTIVE CARE
Considering the high costs of medical care in the case of back related problems – more often resulting in extensive diagnostic procedures, medication, surgery and hospitalisation – it makes economical sense to encourage patients to seek a more cost effective route which could save medical schemes millions of dollars annually. It is interesting to note that the Ministry of Health in Ontario – Canada – commissioned a study by three health economists led by Prof Pran Manga to investigate the cost of back related problems to the state. The 216-page report listed several findings that could save Ontario billions of dollars (approximately $7 billion) annually by utilising chiropractic services. Prof. Manga stated, “There is an overwhelming body of evidence indicating that chiropractic management of low-back pain is more cost effective than medical management”.

MOUNTING EVIDENCE
The research that has emerged from " around the world" has yielded incredibly influential results, which have changed, shaped and molded perceptions of chiropractic care. The report, Chiropractic in New Zealand published in 1979 strongly supported the efficacy of chiropractic care and elicited medical cooperation in conjunction with chiropractic care. The 1993 Manga study published in Canada investigated the cost effectiveness of chiropractic care. The results of this study concluded that chiropractic care would save hundreds of millions of dollars annually with regard to work disability payments and direct health care costs. The Danish Institute for Higher Technology Assessment (DIHTA) produced a report in 1999 on frequency, management and prevention of low back pain. DIHTA states that spinal manipulation is indicated for management of acute pain and to improve function, and should be considered for use in patients who have been experiencing pain for longer than two to three days. DIHTA also recommends that manipulation be considered for recurrent, chronic low back pain and for nerve root/disc conditions. Similarly, the U.K. Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) 2001 Clinical Guidelines for the Management of Acute Low Back Pain state that there is strong evidence that spinal manipulation can provide short-term improvement in pain and activity levels and demonstrates higher patient satisfaction than alternate treatments. The guidelines recommend that adjustment be considered for pain relief and for patients who are failing to return to normal activities. The Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) guidelines for the treatment of chronic pain, published in The Clinical Journal of Pain supplement in December 2001, state that manipulation is more effective for chronic low back pain than usual care by a general practitioner, bed rest, analgesics or massage in the short to intermediate term. A 2004 review of the WSIB Program of Care for acute low back injuries found faster return to work and high satisfaction levels with chiropractic care. Studies in other countries have reached similar conclusions and the international medical literature contains a broad range of published studies attesting to the effectiveness and safety of chiropractic care for musculoskeletal complaints including back pain, neck pain and headaches.