Nonspecific Low Back Pain Helped by Chiropractic According to Study

On May 26, 2025, the Annals of Rheumatology and Autoimmunity published the results of a study with the title, "Effect of Chiropractic on Pain and Disability in Patients with Nonspecific Low Back Pain." The study begins by noting that "Nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP) is characterized by low back pain, that is, not associated with any underlying pathology and is accompanied by burning, dull aching, or sharp pain."

According to the study authors, the purpose of this study was "…to evaluate the effect of chiropractic on pain and disability in patients with NSLBP." They report that, worldwide, approximately 1.63 billion people suffer from musculoskeletal disorders like back pain and are the second-leading cause of disability.

They also note that typical medical care for low back pain (LBP) involves nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, opioids, or surgery. However, the authors express their concerns about treating lower back pain with medications due to the possibility of side effects and drug related problems. They state, "Due to the adverse effects and potential harm to the patient, complementary therapy such as chiropractic is being increasingly used in the management of LBP."

In this study, a total of 30 people, 16 males and 14 females with NSLBP, were recruited to participate. All patients were between the ages of 20 and 50. Anyone who was diagnosed with a spinal pathology, or who was undergoing physical therapy for pain relief, or under pain medication were not included in this study.

For the purposes of this study, chiropractic adjustments were rendered to each of the participants for only 4 days in a row. Before and after the four days of care, each participant completed standardized questionnaires to measure their pain indexes from their LBP. The two types of pain measurement included a "Pain disability index" (PDI) and a "Oswestry disability index" (ODI) which measures pain and how it affects activities of daily life.

The study reports that all the 30 participants showed a significant reduction in both the PDI and ODI pain index scores in the post chiropractic care assessments compared to the assessments performed before chiropractic care was given. The study also recorded that none of the patients in this study reported any adverse effects during the study period.

In the report's discussion section, the authors commented that "The results of the study showed a significant reduction in PDI and ODI scores in the post-test compared to pretest assessments. It indicates that four days of chiropractic was effective in reducing the pain intensity and its related disability in patients with NSLBP." They concluded, "Chiropractic was safe and effective in reducing the pain and disability in patients with NSLBP."