To Your Health
February, 2024 (Vol. 18, Issue 02) |
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Chiropractic Popularity Keeps Growing
By Editorial Staff
A research letter in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) provides initial findings from the most recent (2022) national survey on the use of complementary health approaches (CHA).
The findings include data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which conducts interviews both by phone and in-person.
Seven forms of complementary care are included in the latest study: chiropractic, acupuncture, guided imagery, massage therapy, meditation, naturopathy and yoga.
Use of any form of CHA increased from 19.2% of the U.S. population in 2002 to well over a third (36.7 %) of the population in 2022 (approximately 122.3 million adults). Use of chiropractic specifically in the past 12 months increased from 7.5% of adults in 2002 to 11% in 2022 (an increase of almost 47%). That equates to almost 37 million adult patients.
Use of any form of CHA for pain management also increased, from 42.3% in 2002 to just under half the population (49.2%) in 2022. For chiropractic patients, use of chiropractic for pain management increased from approximately 78% in 2002 to 85.7% in 2022.
With the use of any form of CHA almost doubling (91% increase) during the 20-year period and the use of chiropractic care increasing by almost 50%, it is clear that the public's health care preferences are shifting to less invasive forms of care that are not drug-dependent. This is especially true for pain relief.
If you're already a chiropractic patient, congratulations – you're enjoying the benefits of nondrug, nonsurgical health care. If you're not a chiropractic patient yet, the question is obvious in light of its growing popularity and proven effectiveness: What are you waiting for?
