Naturopathic Care and Low Back Pain

The Canada Post Corporation, comprised of Canada's postal service and several joint ventures, has the nation's sixth largest workforce, the majority of who are represented by a postal workers' union. Being a postal worker entails not only the typical workforce challenges, but like nurses and mechanics, they are at higher risk for lower back pain. Canada Post reported that diagnosed musculoskeletal complaints rose from 53 percent in 2001 to 59 percent in 2003, with sharp increases in physiotherapy, chiropractic and massage care.

In an effort to establish whether naturopathic medical treatment might be of benefit to postal workers with low back pain, Canada Post and the 55,000-member Canadian Union of Postal Workers funded a joint study to be conducted by the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM). The purpose of the study was to establish what, if any, effect existed between naturopathic medical treatment (using a combination of acupuncture, mind-body therapy, lifestyle and dietary counseling) and pain management and quality of life for employees with lower back pain. Neither organization had a role in the conduct or analysis of the investigation.

A New Study

The study is entitled A Randomized Controlled Parallel Group Study to Determine the Impact of Naturopathic Treatment on Canadian Postal Workers with Low Back Pain. The research team was comprised of Orest Szczurko, ND, of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Toronto, CN and the Noumena Health Clinic, Mississauga, CN; Kieran Cooley, ND, of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Toronto, CN; Edward Mills, DPH, MSc, FRSH, PhD, of the Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Toronto, CN and the Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McMaster University, Ontario, CN; Dugald Seely, ND, MSc (Cand.), the Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Toronto, CN and the Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, CN; Jason Busse, DC, MSc, PhD (Cand.), Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McMaster University, Ontario, CN; Bob Bernhardt, the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, Toronto, CN; Gordon H. Guyatt and Qi Zhou, both of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McMaster University, Ontario, CN.

The researchers will discuss their findings at the 21st Annual Meeting of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) (http://www.Naturopathic.org), being held August 9-12, 2006 at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR.

Methodology

A total of 80 participants, primarily letter sorters, were randomly selected to enter either the naturopathic treatment (active) or control group for a 12-week period (36 completed the trial in each group). Care was administered on site at one of the Post's largest processing plants in Canada. Most participants were already on site, although some letter carriers came from surrounding depots to be seen.