Initial findings from the Gallup-Palmer College of Chiropractic Annual Study of Americans provide insight into U.S. adults' experiences with pain and their perceptions of and opinions regarding pharmaceutical vs. conservative pain management, particularly opioids.
"Americans Prefer Drug-Free Pain Management Over Opioids," a Gallup brief based on specific findings from the 2017 survey, is now available; the complete Gallup-Palmer report, analyzing data gathered February-March 2017, will be released in October. Here's a sampling of the findings outlined in the brief:
Pain is an ongoing issue for Americans: "About one in four adults in the U.S. (27%) have seen a healthcare professional for significant neck or back pain in the last 12 months. More than half of those adults (54%) have had an ongoing problem with neck or back pain for five years or more."
Nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) of Americans "prefer to try other ways to address their physical pain before they take pain medication prescribed by a doctor." However, pain medications are still widely used: "Among those who have had ongoing neck or back pain for less than 12 months, seven in 10 have taken a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), such as Advil®, aspirin or Aleve®, to manage the pain, and 45% have taken acetaminophen, such as Tylenol®. One in four of these new neck or back pain sufferers say they took an opioid for pain management."
For managing back / neck pain, chiropractic is perceived as "very effective" by 29 percent of Americans – higher than prescription pain medication (22 percent), back surgery (15 percent) and self-care (9 percent). Only physical therapy (41 percent "very effective") scored higher.
Americans also perceive chiropractic as safer than prescription and OTC medication and back surgery for neck / back pain: 33 percent "very safe," vs. 23 percent for OTC medication, 12 percent for prescription meds and 6 percent for surgery. (By comparison, 68 percent perceive PT as "very safe.")
Financial pressure, enrollment declines and institutional challenges are emerging at several U.S. chiropractic colleges. Life Chiropractic College West's and Life University's struggles may be the most talked about but appear to be part of a larger story. And with recent USDE requirements threatening to hamstring federal student financing for DC degree programs, chiropractic education is facing questions for which it has no immediate answers.
Musculoskeletal pain in perimenopause and menopause reflects a broader physiologic shift rather than an isolated structural problem. Declining estrogen, increased inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and nervous system dysregulation collectively alter tissue quality, pain perception, and recovery capacity. Recognizing this interconnected model enables clinicians to move beyond symptom management and toward more effective, systems-based care that improves long-term outcomes for midlife women.
As the world remembers Dolly Parton following her death Aug. 25 at age 80, there is a little-known connection to the chiropractic profession worth revisiting: Dolly publicly acknowledged using chiropractic care and another famous entertainer even recalled meeting her at a chiropractor's office.
