May 2002

Survey: What Does the Public
Really Think About Chiropractic?
By Kent S. Greenawalt

You may assume you know what health-care consumers think about your profession, but the best way to know for sure is to ask them - or to find out from someone who’s already done the asking. A recent national survey by the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (FCP) did just that.

The FCP is a non-profit foundation that is spearheading a major nationwide public awareness campaign for chiropractic, including the dissemination of these survey results (see sidebar, page 63, for more information on the foundation).

The telephone survey of more than 600 adults was underwritten by Foot Levelers, Inc., and conducted by Media General Research, one of the nation’s leading consumer research organizations. The survey sought the opinions of randomly selected adults across a wide range of age and ethnic groups, educational and income levels, and occupations.

The results of the survey are encouraging, but also reveal the need for more public education about chiropractic’s benefits. The Good News: People Like Their Chiropractors

The survey yielded positive results from the respondents who had already visited a chiropractor. Of that group, a consistently high majority had strong confidence in chiropractic and their chiropractor for treating and maintaining their health. Also revealing was that nearly half of all respondents (46%) viewed chiropractors as being “very” or “extremely” trustworthy.

Specifically, the survey found:
• 56% of respondents who received chiropractic care in the past for specific conditions (back, neck, knee, and shoulder pain; headaches; sinus pain; arthritis; asthma; or ear infection) found it to be “very effective.” [Chiropractic care is given a high rating of effectiveness by those who visited a chiropractor for conditions mentioned in the survey. This reflects well on what is being done for people in pain, once they receive chiropractic care.]

• 41% of respondents who had experienced specific conditions (mentioned previously) during the past year, and who had not sought chiropractic care for their conditions, did consider seeking treatment from a chiropractor. [This is an important finding: A large percentage of the population that has never been seen by a chiropractor has seriously thought about chiropractic care, and could potentially be brought into chiropractic offices around the country. In addition, 12% mentioned receiving recommendations from a family member or friend to seek chiropractic care. Additional “word-of-mouth” recommendations about chiropractic from existing patients needs to be encouraged.]

• On a scale of 1 to 5 (with “1” being “not at all trustworthy” and “5” being “extremely trustworthy”), 46% of respondents (including those who had not sought chiropractic care) considered chiropractors in general to be in the “4” to “5” range. [As alternative forms of healthcare and wellness receive more positive attention, old stereotypes about chiropractic are dying out. Forty percent of survey respondents who were not actively under chiropractic care still gave chiropractors high marks in the area of trustworthiness.]

• For those who had received chiropractic care, 77% of respondents put chiropractors in the “4” to “5” range of trustworthiness (a statistical dead heat with physicians). [Trust in chiropractic care rises dramatically among those who have experienced it. Again, chiropractic patients who are happy with their care should be actively encouraged to refer friends or family members.]

• Of all respondents, 72% felt that back pain would be most effectively treated by a chiropractor (the percentage rose to 90% among those who had received chiropractic care). [Back pain is traditionally considered the chiropractor’s main area of expertise. This survey confirms that a high percentage of consumers rate chiropractic as the most effective treatment method for this group of conditions.]

• Of all respondents, 68% felt that neck pain would be most effectively treated by a chiropractor (again, among those who had seen a chiropractor, the percentage rose to 90%). [Another very important finding: Despite decades of unsubstantiated warnings by certain allopathic groups, more than two-thirds of the survey’s respondents considered chiropractic care to be most effective for neck pain.]

• Of all respondents, 55% felt that shoulder pain would be most effectively treated by a chiropractor (up to 74% for those who had visited a chiropractor). [This is a key finding. The fact that the survey majority considers chiropractic care to be “the most effective treatment” for a non-weightbearing joint implies that the expertise of chiropractors has moved - in the public’s mind - beyond the traditional scope of back (or back/neck) conditions.]

Work Still to Be Done
Other survey data confirmed that more work needs to be done towards educating the general public about the value of chiropractic care. For example, when Americans feel they have an “injury” (as opposed to “pain”), they would most likely turn to an allopathic medical caregiver.

Additional responses reaffirmed an inclination towards drugs, both over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription:

• 60% of respondents would most likely seek out a medical physician for a back or neck injury. [At first glance, this finding may seem contradictory to ones mentioned earlier, in which 72% of respondents felt that chiropractic care would be the most effective treatment for back pain, and 68% for neck pain. However, several moderating factors may be involved: accessibility of chiropractic vs. medical care (e.g. - urgent care or emergency room treatment); perceived cost differential; a definition variance (“back/neck pain” vs. “back/neck injury”), etc. For whatever reason, six out of 10 people would turn first to a medical caregiver. This means there is obviously room for education when it comes to the chiropractor’s role in treating back and neck injuries.]

• Only 23% of respondents said they would most likely go to a chiropractor if they were to experience an injury that caused pain to their back or neck. [Seventy-seven percent of all respondents in this survey would turn to someone other than a chiropractor. Since 46% of all respondents view chiropractic as being very or extremely trustworthy, areas of communication/public awareness must be made more effective, and dissemination of information about chiropractic care must be stepped up.]

• Only 27% of those who experienced back pain during the past year (which was 42% of the total) had seen a chiropractor for treatment. Eighty-four percent treated their pain with OTC or prescription drugs. [Most people turn to drugs for back pain relief; chiropractic comes in third, after the two levels of drug therapy (OTC and prescription). More effort must be put forth to educate health-care consumers about the effectiveness of chiropractic care for back pain.]

• Only 25% of those who experienced neck pain during the past year (which was 28% of the total) had seen a chiropractor for treatment. Eighty percent treated their pain with OTC or prescription drugs. [Eight out of 10 people turn to drugs for neck pain relief; chiropractic again places third. Adult health-care consumers need to be informed that a drug-free alternative method of healthcare - chiropractic - could help relieve their neck pain.]

• Only 20% of those who experienced shoulder pain during the past year (23% of total) saw a chiropractor for treatment. [Chiropractic comes in at fourth place in this category, behind the two drug levels and physical therapy.]

• Only 6% of those who had experienced headaches during the past year (47% of total) had seen a chiropractor for treatment. [Chiropractic places a very distant fourth; drugs or “none” (no treatment) are preferred for nearly all respondents.]

• Only 5% of those who have experienced knee pain within the past year (27% of total) had seen a chiropractor for treatment. [Chiropractic drops to sixth in this category, behind the two drug levels, physical therapists, orthopedists, and “none.” The chiropractic profession has a role to play in rescuing our overmedicated, “pill-popping” nation.]

• Only 24% of respondents realize the condition of their feet could influence the health status of their necks, shoulders, backs, and knees. [Chiropractors truly comprehend the importance of the feet to the rest of the body. The feet are the foundation of the body, and the postural health of the feet has a major influence on the postural health of the head, neck, shoulders, spine, and all lower extremity joints. The more that concept is communicated to and understood by the general public, the more likely people in pain will turn to chiropractic care for natural, drug-free pain relief.]

Getting the Word Out
This survey data confirm what many chiropractic professionals have felt for a long time. The chiropractic message just isn’t reaching enough people. That’s why FCP’s primary goal is to help get more information out to more health-care consumers.

The final survey question, “Where do you gather most of your information regarding healthcare?” elicited the following responses:
• the doctor’s office (30%);

• word-of-mouth (13%);

• books (13%);

• magazines (12%);

• the Internet (9%);

• television (6%);

• a work-out facility (1%); and

• “other” (16%).

Judging by the survey results, American health-care consumers are keenly interested in their personal health. Now it’s up to the chiropractic profession to “close the gap” by educating even more of these people about where chiropractic fits in. Stay tuned for updates.

Mr. Greenawalt founded the non-profit Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (FCP) in 2001 to promote the natural health-care benefits of chiropractic care. He is the president and CEO of Foot Levelers, Inc., a leader in custom-made orthotics and orthotic technologies. This year, Foot Levelers celebrates its 50th year of service to the chiropractic profession.