Can Chiropractors Help Patients Quit Smoking? NDSU Study Suggests It''s Possible

Source from:  West Fargo Pioneer 06/03/2019

People usually don't go to the chiropractor to kick the habit, but the study found a patient quit rate of 13.3 percent in 30 days and 16.7 percent in three months.

Chiropractors may be an unexpected source for helping patients crack their smoking habits, according to a pilot study by North Dakota State University researchers.

NDSU announced the results of the study Wednesday, May 29, that had chiropractors from six practices ask if new patients smoke, advise them to quit and refer them to resources to quit the habit. Conducted between March 2016 and July 2017, the study found a patient quit rate of 13.3 percent in 30 days and 16.7 percent in three months.

“In a nutshell, we think it was very successful,” said Kelly Buettner-Schmidt, an NDSU associate nursing professor who conducted the research for the study. “The main purpose of the study really was to determine if chiropractors could be effective deliverers of 'Ask, Advise, Refer.'”

Chiropractic offices — two each in Grand Forks and Fargo, as well as one each in Wahpeton and Valley City — changed their health system to identify smokers among their patients, Buettner-Schmidt said. Some, like Joel Weiss in Fargo, already asked clients about the habit because it can impact muscle recovery.

But the inquiry wasn’t a part of the initial interview and wasn’t to the extent the study required, he said. He was concerned patients would feel he was not listening to their needs.  Enditem