How Satisfied are Chiropractic Patients when compared to seeking care from their Primary Care Physician?

In a randomized trial, chiropractic patients were more satisfied with their back care providers after 4 weeks of treatment than were medical patients. This was reported by a randomized control trial from the University of California; per their statement, the study examined the difference in satisfaction between patients assigned to chiropractic care versus seeking care from their medical provider. 


Patient satisfaction is an important component of evaluating care for low back pain, especially because objectively measurable treatment outcomes are largely absent. Among low back pain patients in the United States, about one third as many go to chiropractors as to medical doctors. Your PCP may be skeptical reexamining the chiropractor’s ability to treat low back pain to achieve high patient satisfaction.

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​Following the study of both treatment methods between Chiropractic methods, and treatment provided by a primary care physician, chiropractic patients were more satisfied with their providers than were medical patients. The findings were consistent with previous studies that demonstrate associations between the amount of information patients receive and their degree of satisfaction when compared to Chiropractic care and managed care by their primary care physician. Chiropractic patients reported receiving more self-care advice than did medical patients, and were more likely to report receiving an explanation of their treatment; this resulted in a more successful outcome. 

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​It was also noted that per-visit copayment, visit duration, level of confidence in treatment, average changes in pain and disability in the first 2 weeks was more favorable for those who were seeking Chiropractic care. 

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*Am J Public Health. 2002 October; 92(10): 1628–1633.
Comparing the Satisfaction of Low Back Pain Patients Randomized to Receive Medical or Chiropractic Care: Results From the UCLA Low-Back Pain Study
Ruth P. Hertzman-Miller, MD, MPH, Hal Morgenstern, PhD, Eric L. Hurwitz, DC, PhD, Fei Yu, PhD, Alan H. Adams, DC, MS, Philip Harber, MD, MPH, and Gerald F. Kominski, PhD