They say
numbers don’t lie. With all the numbers out there about back and neck pain
costs and outcomes, we can put that to the test. Minster Chiropractic Center presents a few of the more
recent ones that are really interesting and reassuring
of our Minster chiropractic method using
the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
OPTIONS USED FOR BACK PAIN VS BACK PAIN GUIDELINE
RECOMMENDATIONS
Treatment guidelines for back pain are well-published. Are they followed? Of 100 million patient
healthcare insurance claims, 56,000 had persistent low back
pain. These patients were not surgical candidates and had gone
through conventional medical care. Of those 56,000,
60% underwent physical therapy, 50% underwent
chiropractic, 26% received steroid injections and 66% used
prescribed pain meds (57% opioids, 38% muscle relaxants). Were guidelines followed? Not exactly. At odds with low
back pain treatment guidelines, most patients were given
opioids while several non-drug treatments were utilized by only a
few. (1) Another report detailed that 775,893 general practitioner
visits resulted in 6,904 referrals (just 0.89%) to physiotherapy, a
non-pharmacological treatment choice for commonly
referred problems like low back pain and osteoarthritis. (2) The healthcare
costs of these patients were quite substantial. (1) Minster
back pain treatment costs don’t vary that much.
COSTS OF BACK PAIN CARE
According
to a review of Humana insurance claims, the pre-operative costs
of conservative treatment alternatives for cervical spine
radiculopathy were only 37.7% of the total non-operative
expenses for this condition. Injection costs were the highest,
costing $988 on average per patient. Other costs
were – in order of cost expenditure - physical therapy ($510), medications (narcotics,
gabapentin, NSAIDs), bracing ($193), and chiropractic services
($193). 62% of overall costs for care of cervical radiculopathy were for diagnostic tests and such. (3) Minster neck and back pain sufferers
have an experienced chiropractor
at Minster Chiropractic Center.
INTERPROFESSIONAL REFERRAL FOR BACK PAIN CARE
Recent data showed a 106% rise
in the number of physician visits for low back pain and extremity pain that resulted in referral to another physician inpart
because of ineffective outpatient conservative treatment.
The study that discussed this finding concluded
with the suggestion that patients who are most likely to need surgery would see a surgeon
as their first subspecialty referral visit. Additionally,
patients who are less likely to need surgery would meet with
a non-surgical spine specialist or primary care physician. (4)
Your Minster chiropractor at Minster Chiropractic Center is ready
to be the Minster non-surgical spine specialist this article suggests
for our Minster low back pain and neck pain and arm pain and leg pain
sufferers!
CLINICAL OUTCOMES OF TREATMENT
Of 609 patients with sciatica and back-related leg pain
visiting primary care physicians, only 55% reported ‘improvement’
– just 30% or more reduction in disability - at one year follow-up. (5)
Chiropractors using the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management strive
for at least 50% reduction of pain non-surgically
in a month. In a 1000 cases study of Cox® Technic treatment
outcomes, leg pain radicular patients improved significantly more
with Cox® Technic flexion distraction therapy than with physical therapy. (6)
In a study of post-surgical continued back pain patients, 81% of them reported
greater than 50% relief of pain in 11 visits in 49 days (mean). At two your
follow-up, 78.6% of them still had more than 50% relief of pain.
Mean relief of pain was continued: 71.6% at the end of active
care and 70% at 2-year follow-up. (7) Your Minster chiropractor delivers
just such relief and knows when to refer if necessary.
CONTACT Minster Chiropractic Center
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Byron Folwell on The Back Doctors Podcast with
Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates The Cox® Technic
System of Spinal Pain Management integration for relieving
post-surgical continued back pain.
Schedule your Minster chiropractic
appointment today. Do not let numbers scare
you. Let them lead you down the path to pain relief. See
you soon!