• Terre L
• Blum C

• Algorithms
• Chest Pain
• Integrative Medicine
• Open Access Document

Abstract: Non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP) is a common clinical presentation marked by long-term impairments in functioning, reduced quality of life, and over-utilisation of the health care system. Considering the widespread recognition that NCCP involves a complex dynamic of interrelated biopsychosocial influences, evidence-based multidisciplinary approaches to assessment and management increasingly are being recommended.

Yet, despite the frequency with which neuromusculoskeletal (NMS) dysfunctions are implicated in the aetiology of this disorder, NMS specialties (such as chiropractic) typically receive short shrift in extant multidisciplinary models.

Accordingly, the present paper proposes an interdisciplinary algorithm for clinical care that, if validated by subsequent research, may hold promise for improving collaboration between allopathic and chiropractic practitioners, enhancing patient outcomes, and reducing the financial burden of patient care. Implications for empirically-supported refinements of the algorithm are discussed and future research directions are highlighted.

Author keywords: Chiropractic - Chest pain - Non-cardiac pain - Clinical algorithm

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