Testimony to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Chiropractic Advisory Committee

“Testimony to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Chiropractic Advisory Committee.” March 25, 2003.

This testimony is drawn from a sampling of citations regarding patient satisfaction, cost-effectiveness, unnecessary surgical procedures, over-utilization of pharmaceuticals and medical errors. The authors find chiropractic patient satisfaction high. The majority of articles they reviewed found chiropractic to be less expensive than traditional medical care.

Furthermore the researchers discovered, “…the total number of unnecessary back surgeries each year in the U.S. could approach 44,000, costing a much as $484 million.” Medical patients also face a high risk of being over-prescribed medicine and many other malpractice concerns.

In closing the article states the importance of providing our veterans with a “satisfying, cost-effective, lower risk form of intervention that has demonstrated effectiveness in treating numerous neuromusculoskeletal complaints” which is chiropractic.

Portion reprinted by permission from the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research, Copyright 2003.

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