Chiropractic treatment of hand and wrist pain in older people: systematic protocol development. Part 2: cohort natural-history treatment trial

Objectives: This study examines (a) the feasibility of continued research with an older population; (b) the variety of hand-wrist conditions presented by older patients; (c) the accommodations to standard chiropractic treatment for older patients; and (d) the validity, reliability, responsiveness of measures, and preliminary estimates of outcome of treatment for general hand-wrist pain. Methods: A cohort of 55 volunteers, first evaluated over a 5-week natural-history baseline period, was offered 5-week chiropractic treatment and then interviewed at 6 months posttreatment. Descriptive and preliminary inferential analyses are reported. Start values for power analysis are offered. Results: The project recruited a sample of 55 and retained 47 (85%) participants over 8 months, indicating feasibility of a larger project. Participants provided strong self-reported, albeit preliminary, evidence of benefit. Mean values and SDs of pain and strength measures are provided for future power calculations. Conclusions: Clinical research with older participants presenting with hand-wrist pain and dysfunction is feasible. Validity, reliability, and responsiveness of self-reports are demonstrated. The research presents preliminary evidence of the benefit of chiropractic treatment for older patients presenting with hand-wrist symptoms.