Chiropractic in the Eyes of the Public: 2nd Gallup-Palmer Poll
Dynamic Chiropractic Staff
The second Gallup / Palmer College poll has been completed, yielding significant additional data regarding Americans' experiences with and perceptions of chiropractic care. Here are some of the more intriguing insights from this year's poll of 7,500-plus adults; access complete findings at www.palmer.edu/gallup-report/.
Fifteen percent of adults have seen a DC in the past 12 months (first poll: 14 percent).
Almost 50 percent have never been to a DC, with younger adults (ages 18-39) the most likely demographic to have never seen a chiropractor (58 percent).
Sixty-six percent say they are "very satisfied" with the chiropractic care they received; 81 percent "strongly" or "somewhat" agree it is a good monetary value; and 80 percent would recommend care to a friend / family member.
Twenty-eight percent of adults surveyed consider DCs the top choice for treating neck / back pain (massage therapists: 7 percent; PTs: 6 percent), but 53 percent consider medical doctors the top choice.
Sixty-seven percent consider chiropractic either "very" or "somewhat" effective for neck / back pain (second only to physical therapy, 86 percent).
Only 3 percent of recent (past-year) chiropractic users said they are "not very likely" or "not likely at all" to return at some point for care.
Desired chiropractic services range from spinal (91 percent) and extraspinal (81 percent) manipulation to health advice (68 percent), fitness / exercise planning (55 percent) and diet / nutrition planning (30 percent).
Recent experiences impact satisfaction significantly, with 60 percent of those who saw a DC in the past five years considering it "very effective," compared to 24 percent who saw a DC more than five years ago and 14 percent who've never seen a doctor of chiropractic.
Recent use also impacts perceived safety; 21 percent of non-users consider chiropractic "very safe," compared to 59 percent of users who saw a doctor of chiropractic in the past five years.
Sixty-eight percent consider physical therapy "very safe" for neck / back pain; for chiropractic, only 33 percent.
Top reasons for not visiting a DC: "I have another health care provider I would go to" (33 percent); "I don't trust chiropractors" (29 percent).
The 2016 Gallup-Palmer report contains substantially more data than the above, covering Americans' views on various aspects of chiropractic including safety, effectiveness compared to different treatment options (including medication), perceived barriers to accessing care, and more. Again, click here to review complete poll findings; to access data from the inaugural (2015) Gallup-Palmer poll / report, click here.
While cervical disc pathology can unquestionably produce radiculopathy, many patients presenting with arm pain, paresthesia or perceived weakness do not exhibit the clinical behavior of true nerve-root compromise. In these cases, failure to differentiate the primary pain generator may lead to unnecessary spinal injections, nerve ablation procedures or surgical consultation despite limited likelihood of benefit.
The New Jersey Board of Chiropractic Examiners has made a precedential decision, concurring with the Association of New Jersey Chiropractors' (ANJC) position paper on chiropractic X-ray guidelines. In plain terms, the board ruled, consistent with the ANJC position, that insurance companies cannot use medical X-ray rules or recommendations, like those written by the American College of Radiology (ACR), to decide whether a chiropractor's X-ray was necessary.
For decades, chiropractors have been told the answer to more professional referrals is simple: educate medical doctors about chiropractic. There is some truth in that advice; but it is also incomplete. The modern challenge is not simply getting another healthcare professional to know that chiropractors exist. It is becoming the kind of clinician (and building the kind of professional relationship) that makes collaboration easy and sustainable.
