Does chiropractic 'add years to life'?
The chiropractic cliché "Chiropractic Adds Life to Years and Years to Life" was examined for validity. It was assumed that chiropractors themselves would be the best informed about the health benefits of chiropractic care. Chiropractors would therefore be most likely to receive some level of chiropractic care, and do so on a long-term basis. If chiropractic care significantly improves general health then chiropractors themselves should demonstrate longer life spans than the general population. Two separate data sources were used to examine chiropractic mortality rates. One source used obituary notices from past issues of Dynamic Chiropractic from 1990 to mid-2003. The second source used biographies from Who Was Who in Chiropractic - A Necrology covering a ten year period from 1969-1979. The two sources yielded a mean age at death for chiropractors of 73.4 and 74.2 years respectively. The mean ages at death of chiropractors is below the national average of 76.9 years and is below their medical doctor counterparts of 81.5.This review of mortality date found no evidence to support the claim that chiropractic care "Adds Years to Life."
Morgan
Lon
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