The Consortium for Chiropractic Research (CCR), a nonprofit foundation, recently announced an award of $260,000 for a two-year effort to study the benefit of chiropractic care for children suffering from chronic asthma who are on a stable medical regimen of care. The award was made to a group of chiropractic and medical investigators from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College (CMCC), St. Joseph's Hospital-McMaster University, and the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic (LACC). The study is titled, "A Randomized Controlled Trial of Chiropractic Care for Chronic Childhood Asthma."
The principal investigator is Jeffrey Balon, DC, MD, a research fellow at CMCC. Medical collaborators include Drs. Malcolm Sears and Gerard Cox from the Firestone Chest and Allergy Clinic at St. Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario. Co-investigators include CMCC researchers Peter Aker, DC, FCCS, and Edward Crowther, DC, FCCS, and LACC Research Administrator Clark Danielson, MPA. David Sackett, MD, a well known expert in clinical epidemiology at Oxford University, England will serve as a consultant.
The grant was made possible by a restricted donation of funds to the Consortium from the National Chiropractic Antitrust Committee spearheaded by Chester Wilk, DC. It will pay for a randomized double blind study of 100 patients, comparing chiropractic care to a placebo treatment, to ascertain whether children with chronic asthma can be helped by chiropractors. The outcome measures include indices of pulmonary function and quality of life.
In the United States, expenditures for asthma exceed $4 billion each year. A recent survey indicated that 11 percent of patients with pulmonary problems seek care from nonmedical practitioners, including chiropractic. In Australia, 30 percent of asthmatic families use chiropractic for treatment and report a satisfaction rate of 86.5 percent, virtually the same as for medical care.
Current medical care for asthma relies primarily on drugs that may cause unwelcomed side effects in some patients. Chiropractors, of course, espouse a system of management for asthma that is nonpharmacological in nature. However, well-controlled experimental trials of chiropractic care for asthma have not yet been done and chiropractic treatment for asthma remains controversial.
The Consortium for Chiropractic Research, has as its mission to promote collaborative research among its 33 member organizations, including 15 chiropractic colleges. In its short eight-year history, the Consortium has funded many important studies, including those by the RAND Corporation which found spinal manipulation to be appropriate care for common types of low back pain. Dr. William Meeker, president of the Consortium for Chiropractic Research, said the asthma study is expected to help delineate the role of chiropractic care in the management of pediatric asthmatics who are under concurrent medical care.
Editor's note: The Consortium for Chiropractic Research has its executive offices at Palmer College of Chiropractic West in San Jose, California. That address is: 90 East Tasman Drive, San Jose, California 95134.
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
