Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD
Senior Investigator
206-287-2875
cherkin.d@ghc.org
Recent publications
Curriculum vitae (CV)
Back in Action (online publication)
Research interests and experience
- Alternative approaches to healing: healing in primary care; back pain; neck pain; acupuncture; chiropractic care; massage; meditation; tai chi; naturopathic medicine; yoga
- Chronic illness management: chronic back pain; chronic neck pain; medically unexplained physical symptoms
- Patient/provider interaction: patient expectations; the therapeutic environment
- Health services & economics: role of complementary alternative medicine in health care
Finding new inroads to healing is what drives Dan Cherkin's research. With chronic illness on the rise, he aims to show how primary care can evolve to more effectively deal with health problems that don't respond well to conventional treatments.
Dr. Cherkin's approach embodies a transformation of the way we think about health care delivery and centers around the question, "What paths to healing are absent from the typical primary care encounter?" Dr. Cherkin is dedicated to engaging patients in healing activities by understanding their underlying needs and tailoring treatment around them. He's especially interested in improving treatment for chronic conditions and is best known for his research on alternative therapies for back pain. He often collaborates with Group Health Research Institute (GHRI) investigator, Karen Sherman, PhD, to study therapies such as yoga, tai chi, and acupuncture.
While Dr. Cherkin's work is yielding important knowledge about the effectiveness of these therapies, he remains committed to finding ways to create an optimal healing environment in primary care. This enhanced approach can only work when primary care providers' needs are met in a supportive work environment. To this end, he leads a study aimed at bolstering awareness, communication, and team building among primary care staff as a way to foster mindful, patient-centered care.
Dr. Cherkin provided nearly a decade of valuable service to GHRI as associate director for research from 1999–2008, with two years as acting director. He belongs to several professional organizations, including the International Society for Complementary Medicine Research, and is program chair for the 2009 North American Conference on Complementary and Integrative Medicine. Dr. Cherkin has maintained two faculty appointments at the University of Washington since the 1980s and is now affiliate professor in both family medicine and health services.
Recent publications
Sherman KJ, Hawkes RJ, Ichikawa L, Cherkin DC, Deyo RA, Avins AL, Khalsa PS. Comparing recruitment strategies in a study of acupuncture for chronic back pain. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2009 Oct 27;9:69. PubMed
Cherkin DC, Sherman KJ, Kahn J, Erro JH, Deyo RA, Haneuse SJ, Cook AJ. Effectiveness of focused structural massage and relaxation massage for chronic low back pain: protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2009;10(1):96. PubMed
Sherman KJ, Cherkin DC, Ichikawa L, Avins AL, Barlow WE, Khalsa PS, Deyo RA. Characteristics of patients with chronic back pain who benefit from acupuncture. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2009;10(1):114. PubMed
Cherkin DC, Sherman KJ, Avins AL, Erro JH, Ichikawa L, Barlow WE, Delaney K, Hawkes R, Hamilton L, Pressman A, Khalsa PS, Deyo RA. A randomized trial comparing acupuncture, simulated acupuncture, and usual care for chronic low back pain. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(9):858-66. PubMed
Sherman KJ, Cherkin DC, Hawkes R, Miglioretti DL, Deyo RA. Randomized trial of therapeutic massage for chronic neck pain. Clin J Pain. 2009;25(3):233-8. PubMed
Cherkin D, Kovacs FM, Croft P, Borkan J, Foster NE, Oberg B, Urrutia G, Zamora J. The Ninth International Forum for Primary Care Research on low back pain. Spine. 2009;34(3):304-7. PubMed
Hsu C, Phillips WR, Sherman KJ, Hawkes R, Cherkin DC. Healing in primary care: a vision shared by patients, physicians, nurses, and clinical staff. Ann Fam Med. 2008;6(4):307-14. PubMed
Cherkin DC, Sherman KJ, Hogeboom CJ, Erro JH, Barlow WE, Deyo RA, Avins AL. Efficacy of acupuncture for chronic low back pain: protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2008 Feb 28;9:10. PubMed
Myers SS, Phillips RS, Davis RB, Cherkin DC, Legedza A, Kaptchuk TJ, Hrbek A, Buring JE, Post D, Connelly MT, Eisenberg DM. Patient expectations as predictors of outcome in patients with acute low back pain. J Gen Intern Med. 2008 Feb;23(2):148-53. Epub 2007 Dec 8. PubMed
Dunn KM, Cherkin DC. The Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire. Spine. 2007;32(2):287. PubMed
To view more publications, please see Dr. Cherkin's CV.