It is always impressive when a medical research team reaches conclusions that are shared or amplified by a chiropractic study. Take, as example, the research of Drs. Andrei Pikalov and Vyatcheslav Kharin,1 of the division of research at Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City, Missouri, and a chiropractic study by Drs. Paul Bryner and Paul Staerker2 of Australia.
Drs. Pikalov and Kharin published a remarkable paper in a chiropractic research journal. A group of 11 patients suffering from duodenal ulcers had spinal manipulative therapy added to their usual medical regimen. These spinal manipulations were similar to chiropractic adjustments. A second group of 24 patients received standard medical treatment only. Progress was measured by improvement in symptoms and visible remission of the ulcers under fiber-optic examination, using an endoscope.
Recovery was substantially accelerated in the group receiving spinal manipulation, with ulcer remission taking place an average of 10 days faster than in the group under traditional medical care.
Keep in mind that before an obvious disease such as duodenal ulcer appears, relatively mild problems, such as heartburn or simple indigestion, may be present for months or years. The study by Drs. Bryner and Staerker included a survey of 1,494 chiropractic patients in eight different practices, which found that more than 20 percent of indigestion sufferers found relief through chiropractic care. Interestingly enough, the majority of these patients never mentioned this favorable outcome to their doctors of chiropractic; their complaint was upper back pain. This phenomenon of relief from indigestion and heartburn came to light only as a result of the survey.
References
- Pikalov AA, Kharin VV. Use of spinal manipulative therapy in the treatment of duodenal ulcer: a pilot study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1995 Feb;18(2):117-8.
- Bryner P, Staerker PG Indigestion and heartburn: a descriptive study of prevalence in persons seeking care from chiropractors. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1996 Jun; 19(5):317-23.
- Masarsky CS, Todres-Masarsky M. The alimentary canal: a current chiropractic perspective. In Somatovisceral Aspects of Chiropractic: An Evidence-Based Approach. Churchill Livingstone, 2001.
Chuck Masarsky, DC
Vienna, Virginia
neurofitness@aol.com
