Objective: To evaluate changes over 3 months in health‑related quality of life (HRQoL) in Italian adults with non‑specific low back pain (LBP) and/or neck pain (NP) receiving routine chiropractic care, using the SF‑36v2 Physical and Mental Component Summary scores.
Methods: A longitudinal observational study was conducted in 37 Italian chiropractic practices between December 2023 and December 2024. Adults (≥18 years) with non‑specific LBP and/or NP were consecutively recruited at presentation. Patients completed an electronic SF‑36v2 questionnaire at baseline and then monthly for 3 months. The primary outcomes were the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores. Pre–and Post-changes from baseline to three months were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed‑rank test for paired non‑parametric data. No control group was included, and usual clinical decision‑making was not constrained.
Results: A total of 163 patients were enrolled. Statistically significant improvements were observed in both PCS and MCS after three months of chiropractic care (p<0.001 for both comparisons). Median PCS increased from 44.7 at baseline to 51.0 at three months, indicating better perceived physical health. Median MCS increased from 41.8 to 46.0, reflecting improved mental health‑related quality of life over the same period. Monthly trajectories suggested progressive gains across the follow‑up period.
Conclusion: In this 3‑month longitudinal observational study of 163 adults with low back and/or neck pain receiving chiropractic care in Italian practices, statistically significant improvements in SF‑36v2 Physical and Mental Component Summary scores were observed. These findings suggest that chiropractic care may be associated with improved health‑related quality of life in patients with spinal musculoskeletal pain.
Author keywords: Low Back Pain; Neck Pain; Chiropractic Care; Health‑Related Quality Of Life;
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