It has long been known that spine-related injuries and conditions impose a large financial burden on our health care system. A review in 2006 found that “The total costs of low-back pain in the United States exceed $100 billion per year. Two-thirds of these costs are indirect, due to lost wages and reduced productivity.”
In fact, spinal injury treatment (including back and neck pain) made up the third-largest portion of medical spending, just after diabetes and ischemic heart disease, in 2013.
Chiropractic care is in the best position to help this burden on the health care system, not only because it is cost-effective, but because it helps resolve the health condition, too.
Here are some statistics that show how chiropractic care is your best course of action for spine-related pain:
- Total treatment costs for back related injuries averaged $775.30 per case when treated by a chiropractor, but $1,665.43 when injured workers received standard medical treatment, according to a 1991 study published in Journal of Occupational Medicine.2 That is a 53% savings by visiting a chiropractor versus standard medical treatment.
- The cost of healthcare for back and neck pain was substantially lower for chiropractic patients than medical care ($539 vs. $774), according to a 1996 study published in The American Journal of Managed Care.
- The mean total payments for chiropractic care was $518 versus $1,020 for medical care, according to a 1996 study published in Medical Care.
How well does chiropractic care treat acute low back pain?
Here are a few statistics from the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics:
- Acute onset patients reported 80% improvement in 2 weeks, 85% improvement in the first month, and 95% improvement at 3 months.
- Patients stabilized at both 6 month and one year marks following treatment.
Would those patients have gotten better with no treatment?
- Only 36% of patients who received no treatment felt better after 2 weeks
- After 12 weeks, up to 73% of patients felt better
These findings clearly indicate that chiropractic care is a far superior solution to doing nothing. In fact, chiropractic care helps patients return to normal life without pain, or the need for drugs or surgery.
This is just some of the evidence supporting why you should choose a chiropractor to help care for you, your spine, and your overall health and wellness.
Chiropractic care is great for treating acute, non-specific spine pain, headaches, and so much more. Do yourself a favor and take care of your spine!
Robert Curtis, DC, CCSP
Spine Care Physician
References
- Katz, JN, 2006, “Lumbar disc disorders and low-back pain: socioeconomic factors and consequences,” The Journal Of Bone And Joint Surgery, Abstract.
(2) – Jarvis, et al, 1991, Cost per case comparison of back injury claims of chiropractic vs. medical management of for conditions with identical diagnostic codes, Journal of Occupational Medicine, 33(8), 847-852
(3) – Mosely, et al, 1996, Cost effectiveness of chiropractic care in a managed care setting, The American Journal of Managed Care, 2, 280-282
(4) – Stano, et al, 1996, Chiropractic and Medical costs of low back pain, Medical Care, 34(3), 191-204
(5) – Leeman, et al, 2014, Outcomes of Acute and Chronic Patients with Magnetic Resonance Imaging Confirmed Symptomatic Lumbar Disc Herniations Receiving HVLA Chiropractic care: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study with one year follow up, Journal of Manipulative and Physiologic Therapeutics, 37(3), 155-163
