In the healing professions, the ultimate goal of treatment is patient satisfaction. Consistent with the research findings provided here on cost, further studies demonstrate that for many complaints and injuries involving the spine, other joints and connective structures, chiropractic enhances the patient's treatment experience in terms of immediate relief of pain, hastened restoration of mobility and flexibility, an improved long-term prognosis and fewer repeat visits over time.

Clearly, all these patient benefits translate into cost savings for the consumer and the insurer, but strictly in terms of patient satisfaction and health benefits, studies repeatedly confirm the efficacy of chiropractic care.

In 1993, for example, the Ontario Ministry of Health study referenced above determined that:

1. For patients with acute low back symptoms without radiculopathy, the scientific evidence suggests spinal manipulation is effective in reducing pain and perhaps speeding recovery;
2. More people prefer to go to a chiropractor for a back problem than to any other health care provider; and
3. More people agree that chiropractors are the most qualified and skilled to provide spinal manipulation.

Based on their research, the authors recommend that chiropractic services be fully integrated into the health care system and that long-term facilities employ chiropractors."

A study by the RAND Corporation concluded spinal manipulation applied by chiropractors is shown to be more effective than other medical treatments for lower back pain.

A further pair of studies conducted three years apart also leads to similar conclusions. In 1990, British medical doctor T.W. Meade published results of a comparative study of chiropractic treatment and non -chiropractic hospital outpatient treatment consisting of corset wearing and standard physical therapy for lower back pain. The study suggested superior long-term benefits associated with chiropractic care. This conclusion was confirmed by a followup study conducted three years later. In a study published in 1995, Meade concluded that patients treated with chiropractic derive more benefit and long-term satisfaction than those treated by hospitals without chiropractic care.

The increasing popularity of chiropractic in the United States and abroad is a direct outgrowth of demonstrable results from the patient perspective. Further, at a time when health care consumers are advocating greater responsibility in their care, increasing amounts of information, stronger decision-making authority for the treatment they receive - and more face-to-face time with their health care provider chiropractic's focus on the human side of medical care answers multiple patient needs simultaneously.

When such care can be provided along with cost savings, health care providers stand to gain clear benefits from utilizing chiropractic in their patient treatment programs.