Who seeks chiropractic care for headache?
The project A longitudinal observational cohort study of patients with headaches in Danish chiropractic practice. The Headache in Chiropractic Practice (HIC) project, part two by Kristina Boe Dissing and co-researchers aims to conduct a large study of patients with headaches who receive chiropractic care to improve our knowledge about who seeks chiropractic care for headache, how the treatment affects them, and how other health conditions affect prognosis and treatment.

The researchers aim to include 1000 patients and follow them for one year. All Danish chiropractors in primary practice have been invited to participate in the project. Data collection started in October 2024 and is expected to run until the end of 2025.

This project has the potential to provide new and important information about patients with headaches that can be used to improve clinical practice. This information could potentially inform the development of new or better management strategies and improve patient outcomes to the benefit of both patients and chiropractors.

Furthermore, finding prognostic factors are important because they help patients and chiropractors decide on the best possible treatment by considering the best available information and what the patients prefer.

The project will receive 42.028 €.

Who improves with chiropractic care?
The study Who can be helped and who cannot be helped? Mapping biopsychosocial factors in people with low back pain responding to chiropractic care headed by Casper Nim will look at who improves with chiropractic care and who does not improve.

People with low back pain will be invited to the study, particularly the ones that see a chiropractor and the ones who do not see anyone for their low back pain. People that agree to be part of the study will come to the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) for four sessions, which will each include completing questionnaires, checking their pain thresholds, measuring how stiff their back is, and doing simple activities like standing, bending forward, sitting and standing, picking up an object, and walking.

This study will give us important knowledge about who improves with chiropractic care. Early identification of who improves with chiropractic care and who does not can help chiropractors to better inform patients and plan their treatments.

The study is a collaboration between University of Southern Denmark, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, University of Pittsburgh, Parker University and University of Alberta.

The project will receive 39.750 €.

Patients’ needs in treatment decisions regarding neck pain
Nina Vøllestad receives 50.000 € for the project Patients’ needs in treatment decisions regarding neck pain: a multi-method approach.

Neck pain is a problem affecting around one billion people worldwide, posing great cost to society. People with neck pain often consult different types of clinicians for treatment, for example chiropractors.

Neck pain affects people in different ways; while some are bothered mainly by their pain, others might be more affected by problems affecting their everyday function.

A key component in health care is to address patients’ needs adequately. Given that most patients consulting chiropractors have long-standing complaints, their goals and needs may vary. Therefore, a key role of the chiropractor is to match these needs using their own professional knowledge and judgement, through their treatment approach.

The aim of this project therefore is to investigate the goals described by patients and how these correspond to subsequent treatments. It will also examine how well the chiropractors capture the goals of their patients and identify factors that may contribute to a successful capture of the patients’ goals. A better ability to accommodate patients’ goals will contribute to further development and optimization of chiropractic practice.

An additional ambition is to explore the experiences and judgements of chiropractors in navigating the complexity of participating in a clinical trial.

Pregnancy-related Pelvic Girdle Pain in Sweden
The fourth research project to receive a grant from ECCRE is Longitudinal Analysis of Pregnancy-related Pelvic Girdle Pain in Sweden – A Pilot Study headed by Cecilia Bergström. The project will receive 27.220 €.

Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PPGP) affects approximately 63% of pregnant women, with 27-40 % experiencing persistent pain years postpartum. This condition impacts quality of life, workability, and healthcare costs, yet its causes and progression remain poorly understood. Most research relies on retrospective or cross-sectional data, limiting insights into the dynamic nature of PPGP.

This pilot study aims to assess the recruitment strategies, retention rates, compliance, costs, and potential challenges of a full-scale research project investigating the onset and progression of PPGP.

The study will measure the recruitment strategies, retention rates, compliance, costs, and potential challenges of the study design to support the successful implementation of a full-scale investigation.

Findings will optimise research protocols and resource allocation, ensuring the robustness and efficiency of the full-scale study. Additionally, insights will enhance patient engagement and adherence, ensuring their experiences and needs are effectively addressed in the research process.

Deadline ECCRE applications 2027