uccess with traditional treatments, combined with the common fear of back surgery, has led people to explore the option of alternative medicine. A study done by the American Board of Family Practice showed that twenty eight percent of family practice patients sought some sort of alternative medicine. Back pain was the most common problem for which patients sought alternative care, which shows that patients are unhappy with traditional treatments. One of the most popular forms of modern intervention is chiropractic care. Chiropractic care involves a manipulation of the spine in order to relieve the symptoms of back and neck injuries. Although there is no accepted scientific methodology that supports chiropractic care, studies show that twenty one percent of chiropractic patients received “some” relief from manipulation (Drivdahl,1998).Another increasingly popular treatment for chronic low back pain is transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). This treatment involves the conduction of electric impulses into the affected area, in attempt to decrease swelling and pain, while increasing range of motion. Evidence shows that TENS does have positive effects on reducing pain and improving functioning of patients. However, the studies show that although ninety five percent of the two hundred and eighty eight patients experienced a decrease in pain, only three percent had relief for more than two hours(Gadsby 1997). Another form of conservative treatment is physical therapy. Physical therapy includes a wide variety of exercises that attempt to strengthen and mobilize the spine in order to relieve pressure from the discs. Although most would agree that some form of physical activity is preferred over bed rest, the extent and type of excercises performed are not readily agreed upon. The difficulty comes from the sensitivity of each patient and the nature of his injury. For instance, the McKenzie method of ...
