In general, chiropractic patients desire more from their doctors than musculoskeletal care, according to a study of 1316 consecutive patients attending 27 different chiropractic Sacro-Occipital Technique (SOT) clinics in the US, Europe and Australia.

The patients “completed a one-page survey on intake to assess reason for seeking care.” Results revealed that “more than 40% of chiropractic patient visits were initiated for the purposes of health enhancement and/or disease prevention.”

The study’s authors conclude that “although prudence dictates great caution when generalizing from this study, if confirmed by subsequent research among other similar cohorts, the present results may lend support to continued arguments of consumer demand for a more comprehensive paradigm of chiropractic care, beyond routine musculoskeletal complaints, that conceptualizes the systemic, nonspecific effects of the chiropractic encounter in much broader terms.”

Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association – September 2008;52:175-84.

http://www.jcca-online.org/