Patients Very Satisfied with Chiropractic Care Study ShowsThe Journal of Patient Experience published the results of a study on December 25, 2025, that showed that patients who were under chiropractic care were very satisfied with their experience. The satisfaction levels of those under chiropractic care exceeded the satisfaction levels of patients under traditional medical care.
This study begins by pointing out that there have been many studies that show chiropractic patients have a high satisfaction rate with their care. They do note that no other study has reviewed these individual studies and combined them for a large overview. They explain, "Despite numerous studies that measure satisfaction in patients undergoing chiropractic care, these have not yet been systematically summarized. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of existing literature to identify factors that contribute to high levels of satisfaction in chiropractic care."
The researchers began by searching various research databases for all studies that contained some form of chiropractic patient satisfaction information. From an original number of 2610 studies, the researchers then began the process of eliminating all the studies that did not meet the highest criteria that they wanted for their review. At the end of this process, the researchers were left with 43 studies that met the highest standards they required for this review.
The 43 studies were included in this review were conducted in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, Australia, and South Africa. The care that was delivered in all these studies included chiropractic rendered in a variety of settings including private practices, university clinics, specialized clinics, military medical centers, and therapeutic community facilities.
The patients in these studies sought care for a wide variety including spinal pain, low back pain, neck pain, leg pain, headaches, and musculoskeletal conditions, as well as care for specialized populations such as pediatric patients, pregnant mothers, older adults, military personnel, and athletes.
The researchers commented that through these studies, chiropractic patients had a high satisfaction level with their care. "Generally, chiropractic patients are very satisfied with their care with high proportions generating consistently high satisfaction scores. This includes patient groups receiving care in both the independent and public sector."
The researchers reported that chiropractic care had a higher patient satisfaction rating than other forms of care that the researchers described as "comparators" and included services such as home exercise, medication, or standard medical care. They stated, "For all trials, chiropractic care either alone or as adjunctive to other interventions generated significantly higher satisfaction scores than comparator interventions."
In their conclusion, the authors of the study summed up their results by stating, "This systematic review suggests that high and consistent levels of both satisfaction and positive experiences are widely reported in the literature concerning patients undergoing chiropractic care." They went on to explain some of the reason for such high levels of satisfaction by saying, "Factors influencing satisfaction included clinical outcomes as well as the patients’ interaction with their chiropractor." |