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Journal of Manipulative and Physiologic Therapeutics, June 2005, Volume 28, Issue 5, pages 294-302, Leboeuf-Yde et al.

This study was designed to replicate a previous study of non-musculoskeletal responses to chiropractic intervention and to determine whether such responses are influenced by the country of study, chiropractors’ attitudes and information given to patients, patients’ demographic profiles, and treatment regimens.

Information was gathered via questionnaires completed by chiropractors and patients regarding previous treatment from chiropractic practices in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, and South Africa. In total, 385 chiropractors collected valid data on 5,607 patients.

Spinal manipulation, with or without additional therapy, was the intervention provided by chiropractors. Outcome measures included self-reported improvements in non-musculoskeletal symptoms, such as allergies, asthma, breathing, circulation, digestion, hearing, heart function, ringing in the ears, sinus problems, urination, and others.

The results of the previous study were largely replicated. Positive reactions were reported by 2% to 10% of all patients and by 3% to 27% of those who initially had such issues. The most common improvements were in breathing (27%), digestion (26%), and circulation (21%).

Some variables were found to influence outcomes slightly, including patients informed that such reactions may occur (odds ratio [OR] 1.5), treatment to the upper cervical spine (OR 1.4), treatment to the lower thoracic spine (OR 1.3), and female sex (OR 1.3). However, these variables had very little explanatory power (pseudo R² of 3%).

In conclusion, a minority of patients with self-reported non-musculoskeletal symptoms report significant improvement after chiropractic care, and very few report worsening. The study suggests that future research should employ stringent criteria to investigate potential treatment effects and focus on specific diagnostic subgroups, such as digestive issues and tinnitus.