Nurses’ Use of Chiropractic for Relief of Back and Neck Pain

Abstract

Purpose Because of the physical demands of the profession, nurses often experience back and neck pain. Chronic pain can affect productivity at work and push nurses to seek less taxing positions. With an increased demand for nurses, the wellbeing of these healthcare workers must be taken into consideration to maximize retention, patient care, and job satisfaction. However, few studies exist that describe nurses’ use of chiropractic therapy to manage back and neck pain. This study sought to fill that gap. Methodology The primary investigator had permission to recruit nurses from one chiropractic office in Greenville, North Carolina. Those sought for this study frequented a chiropractor when dealing with back or other areas of discomfort and had work-related musculoskeletal pain. Narrative inquiry was employed for the study and participants engaged in one face-to-face interview in the chiropractic office. Results Six women ages 45 to 70 were recruited by word of mouth and reference from the chiropractors. Participants had experience in the nursing field and a nursing degree, but not all were still in nursing practice. From the interviews, nurses’ experiences with back and neck pain before and after chiropractic were revealed. Chiropractic proved to be a beneficial treatment for those suffering pain who were both in and out of work. Nurses described the healing process as gradual, but all participants benefitted. The nurses still in practice mentioned that chiropractic improved their productivity at work; lifting and turning patients became easier. By going to a chiropractor, they received treatments ranging from adjustments to interferential therapy along with insights on nutrition and stretching. Discussion Nurses’ self-care is a frequent topic in current literature. However, use of chiropractic therapy as a strategy for self-care has received limited attention. Future research related to self-care by nurses should include chiropractic among the therapies nurses may find beneficial.