Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34872561›Full record

ArticleChiropractic & manual therapies2021

Digging deeper: exploring chiropractors online claims about non-musculoskeletal disorders.

Søren O'Neill, Anneline Bugge Wahlqvist, Natasja Kragh Simonsen, Cornelius Myburgh, Rikke Krüger Jensen

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Chiropractic & manual therapies, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact, top 80% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 0 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Søren O'NeillSpinecenter of Southern Denmark, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Østre Hougvej 55, 5500, Middelfart, Denmark. soeren.oneill@rsyd.dk.ORCID 0000-0002-8064-7001
Anneline Bugge WahlqvistDepartment of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Natasja Kragh SimonsenDepartment of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Cornelius MyburghDepartment of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Rikke Krüger JensenDepartment of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
University of Southern Denmark · DK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSome chiropractors suggest that chiropractic treatment is appropriate for health issues other than musculoskeletal problems. The prevalence of such claims on individual clinic websites has previously been reported as approximately one-in-four in Denmark. The underlying rationales for such claims may reflect convictions about traditional chiropractic subluxations paradigms, but are not self-evident and has not previously been studied.

methodsAn exploratory qualitative case interview study of Danish chiropractors with websites which contain claims about chiropractic efficacy in the treatment of non-musculoskeletal disorders. Websites were identified from a nation wide random sample (57%) of all chiropractic clinic websites.

resultsOf the original 139 websites, 36 were identified as mentioning non-MSK conditions. When revisited, 19 of those clinic websites still mentioned non-MSK disorders and were contacted. Eleven (11) declined our invitation to participate. Interviews were conducted with the responsible chiropractor from each of the remaining 8 clinics. Five distinct themes were identified in the rationales for treating non-musculoskeletal disorders: 'Positive side-effects,' 'Experience,' 'Web page,' 'Communication' and 'Conviction.'

conclusionsA minority of Danish chiropractic websites suggest that non-musculoskeletal disorders are within the chiropractic scope of practice. Those that do, do so for varying reasons-poor communication and website maintenance were commonly cited problems. An explicitly stated adherence to traditional chiropractic subluxations concepts was uncommon. By contrast, a more tempered rationale that suggested a potential beneficial side-effect of chiropractic on non-musculoskeletal health issues were more common and was typically presented in softer-language and/or with some reservations.

Indexed as

ChiropracticManipulation, ChiropracticAmbulatory Care FacilitiesHealth PersonnelHumansChiropracticNon-musculoskeletalScope of practiceSubluxationType-OWeb page

Identifiers

PMID34872561
PMCPMC8646014
OpenAlexW4200264103

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.