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Chiropractic compared to Accupuncture and Meds for Chronic Spinal Pain

Dr. Christopher Quigley Dr. Christopher Quigley

What should you do first when you back is barking at you? When the pain is just not going away this time? See your chiropractor of course. Over 117 years ago, the first chiropractic adjustment was performed and this 100% natural form of healing got it start.

I love this article from the Journal Spine of July 2003. In it the authors document their randomized controlled clinical trial where chiropractic care, acupuncture and medication were compared for people having back pain for more than 13 weeks. The outcomes greatly favored the chiropractic group. The chiropractic group had:

  • the highest subjective improvement,
  • the best functional improvement,
  • The best range of motion improvement and
  • highest significant improvement in overall health.
  • The only outcome where the chiropractic group did not finish first was on neck pain where acupuncture scored better than the chiropractic group by 16%, even though the chiropractic group still scored better with the other improvement outcomes.

Consistently we find that for those with chronic back pain a conservative chiropractic approach is a winning formula. In our Boston chiropractic office we closely monitor and survey our patients for their response to care. For those who complete their initial care plans in our office, 90% of people experience substantial improvement in their back pain.

Dr. Christopher Quigley

“I was majoring in chemistry at Villanova University when my path turned to chiropractic. I was going on interviews to be a pharmaceutical sales representative, and they always asked me what I wanted to be doing in five years. My answer was always the same: “I want to be helping people, enjoying my work, while making a difference.”

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Why Chiropractic Care Should Play a Bigger Role in Public Health

Looking for a Boston chiropractor focused on conservative, drug-free spine care? At Charles Street Family Chiropractic in Beacon Hill, Dr. Chris Quigley helps patients with back pain, neck pain, sciatica, disc problems, and recurring spinal conditions. Chiropractic care can support mobility, function, and active living while reducing reliance on medications and invasive procedures. Even major medical centers, including the University of South Florida Neurosurgery program, are integrating chiropractic care into collaborative spine treatment and research.

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Before Back Surgery: What Three Important Studies Say About Nonsurgical Spinal Decompression

The number that should stop every elective-surgery patient in their tracks is 94%.
In a large 2017 Journal of Pain Research study of 1,842 people who had undergone lumbar spine surgery, 94% reported some degree of residual low-back pain. That does not mean 94% had severe pain, nor does it mean 94% of the operations were surgical failures. But for an invasive procedure that many patients understandably hope will eliminate their back pain, the persistence of any low-back pain in such a large proportion of respondents is difficult to dismiss.
The same study found that 20.6% met the researchers’ criteria for failed back surgery syndrome —roughly one out of every five patients. Residual numbness was reported by 69.8%, cold sensations by 43.3%, and paresthesia such as tingling or abnormal sensations by 35.3%.

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September 28, 2026