The Patient Experience

What Patients Love About Chiropractic

Editorial Staff

Findings from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey, "the most recent source providing data on the use of complementary health care approaches by adults in the United States," reveals why patients utilize chiropractic and what they value most.

The survey provides data on lifetime (54.6 million; 24%) and 12-month (19.1 million; 8.4%) utilization of chiropractic and various sociodemographic characteristics. But the most intriguing data illuminates the primary reasons for visiting a DC and the perceived health and wellness benefits received by chiropractic users:

Reasons for Visiting a DC

For general wellness / disease prevention: 43.6%
To improve energy: 16.3%
To improve athletic or sports performance: 15.4%
To improve immune function: 11.4%
To improve memory or concentration: 5.3%

Benefits of Chiropractic

Improves overall health or makes feel better: 66.9%
Helps to sleep better: 41.9%
Helps to reduce stress level or to relax: 40.2%
Makes it easier to cope with health problems: 38.5%
Gives a sense of control over own health: 32.5%
Helps to feel better emotionally: 27.4%
Improves attendance at job or school: 17.0%
Improves relationships with others: 13.3%

Note: Chiropractic also motivated patients to "exercise more regularly" (21.6%) and "eat healthier" (10.7%), emphasizing the DC's value as a source of information / guidance in these areas.

Overall Value in Maintaining Health and Well-Being

Very important: 47.9%
Somewhat important: 29.6%
Slightly important: 13.9%
Not at all important: 8.7%

Effectiveness in Helping Specific Health Problem

Helped a great deal: 64.5%
Helped some: 25.8%
Helped only a little: 6.1%
Didn't help at all: 3.5%

Why Not Just See an MD?

Chiropractic combined with medical treatment would help: 64.8%
Chiropractic treats the cause and not just the symptoms: 61.9%
It is natural: 37.5%
Medical treatments do not work for specific health problem: 33.8%
Chiropractic focuses on the whole person: 24.9%
Medications cause side effects: 18.1%

Complete survey findings appear in Spine, Dec. 1, 2017 issue (Adams J., et al.).

February 2018