July 2005

Consumers give chiropractic high scores

Consumer Reports, a popular consumer magazine that rates products and services gave high marks to chiropractic and a highly trafficked medical Web site, www.webmd.com, reviewed the article, saying “Healing hands are the best alternative therapy.”

In a survey of more than 34,000 readers, the nonprofit consumer magazine Consumer Reports found that chiropractic and deep-tissue massage are the highest-ranked alternative health treatments. The survey covered 12 conditions, ranging from depression to high blood pressure, as they responded to alternative treatments, including hands-on treatments and herbs and supplements.

Readers with back pain reported that chiropractic was more effective than all conventional treatments, including prescription drugs. Although the publication reported that readers also used chiropractic for relief from neck pain, it also asserted that neck manipulation “can be risky,” citing that “clinical-trial evidence for chiropractic is mixed.” For sufferers of osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, deep-tissue massage was the alternative treatment of choice.

According to the survey, alternative remedies were most sought for conditions that don’t have effective conventional treatments. For other conditions, readers used a combination of conventional and alternative therapies.

The magazine reported that hands-on alternative treatments such as massage, chiropractic, and acupuncture were more popular with women than with men.

WebMD Health reviewed the Consumer Reports article in the “Women, Men, Lifestyle” section of its Web site, noting that medical doctors’ attitudes have changed substantially since the magazine last surveyed its readers on the topic in 1999. The WebMD review also advised those interested in pursuing alternative medical treatments to consult a qualified practitioner.

The survey findings appear in the August issue of Consumer Reports. The WebMD Health review is available at http://my.webmd.com.

Sources: Consumer Reports, www.ConsumerReports.org; WebMD, www.webmd.com.

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