The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) has announced preliminary results of two practice-based research network (PBRN) survey studies designed to assess the efficacy of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for pediatric patients. The practice-based studies, both of which are ongoing, feature data from hundreds of clinical cases and reinforce the value of chiropractic care for children.
The first survey asks doctors of chiropractic to provide information regarding "aggravations, complications and improvements" relative to treatment of child patients. According to the ICPA, more than 90 percent of chiropractors surveyed thus far have reported an improvement in their pediatric patients' presenting complaints, and "less than a handful" of minor and self-limiting aggravations (e.g., soreness) have been reported "over thousands of patient visits."
The second survey asks parents who take their children to DCs similar questions regarding complications and improvements resulting from chiropractic care. According to the ICPA, hundreds of parents have responded - amounting to several thousand pediatric patient visits - and confirm what chiropractors reported in the first survey: Chiropractic care is safe and effective for the pediatric population. In fact, only two cases of treatment-related aggravations have been reported, both involving "soreness and/or stiffness." These aggravations were again described by the ICPA as minor and self-limiting, and were "not serious enough for the parent to discontinue chiropractic care for their child."
The ICPA has submitted its pre-liminary research findings to the Association of Chiropractic Colleges - Research Agenda Conference (ACC-RAC), to be held March 13-15, 2008 in Washington, D.C.; and to the Exeter Symposium, an annual complementary and alternative medicine conference scheduled to be held Dec.11-13, 2007 at the University of Exeter, U.K. The ICPA says it will continue to collect data for both survey studies over the next few months, and plans on launching additional research projects regarding the safety and effectiveness of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for pediatric patients.
For more information, including survey updates and instructions on how you can participate in the practitioner survey, visit www.icpa4kids.com.
