The 2018 Gallup Poll - Opinion on Chiropractic

In the fourth installment of Gallup and Palmer annual report, we unveil new findings on Americans’ preferences for neck or back pain care, patient experiences with health-care providers and the prevalence of various methods for addressing this type of pain in the United States. Among the key findings: • Americans are open to an all types of treatments to address neck and back pain. On average, 67% of Americans suffering from neck or back pain would want to see a professional who treats using a variety of methods including prescription medication or surgery. Still, 79% of U.S. adults would prefer to try to address their neck or back pain using methods other than prescription medication first. • Many neck or back pain patients use self-care techniques – non-drug therapies. Therapies include superficial heat (77%), yoga (72%) and cold packs (60%). Many also use non-drug therapies that require a health-care professional for care, such as massage (53%), spinal adjustment (47%) and physical therapy (42%). • The reasons for visiting different practitioners vary. Among those who’d seen an M.D. most often; the top reasons were insurance coverage (38%), trust (30%), habit (26%) and effectiveness (23%). For physical therapists; it’s safety (50%), insurance coverage (47%) and effectiveness (42%). For chiropractors; it’s safety (54%), trust (53%) and effectiveness (52%). The majority of U.S. adults have positive views of chiropractors. •63% agree most chiropractors have their patients' best interest in mind. •52% agree most chiropractors are trustworthy. Other key findings include: Among frequently visited practitioners, sufferers of neck or back pain report a high level of care. ◦Adults who saw a chiropractor for significant neck or back pain in the last year say their chiropractor listens (93%), provides convenient, quick access to care (93%), demonstrates compassion (91%) and explains things well (88%). Similar percentages exist for physical therapists. ◦Adults who saw a medical doctor for neck or back pain are less likely to say their health care provider did these things – listens (72%), explains things well (67%), and demonstrate compassion (66%). Source: palmer college of chiropractic website, 10/3/18.