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. Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation shares a few of the latest ones that are really interesting and supportive
of our Tonawanda chiropractic approach 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-established. Are they observed? Of 100 million patient
healthcare insurance claims, 56,000 experienced persistent low back
pain. These patients weren’t surgical candidates and had experienced conventional medical care. Of those 56,000,
60% utilized physical therapy, 50% experienced
chiropractic, 26% got steroid injections and 66% used
prescribed pain meds (57% opioids, 38% muscle relaxants). Were guidelines followed? Not exactly. Contrary to guidelines for low back pain treatment, most patients were prescribed
opioids while several non-drug treatments were used by only a
few. (1) Another report detailed that 775,893 general practitioner
visits led to 6,904 referrals (just 0.89%) to physiotherapy, a
non-drug treatment option for frequently
referred problems like low back pain and osteoarthritis. (2) The healthcare
costs of these patients were very large. (1) Tonawanda
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 options for cervical spine
radiculopathy were just 37.7% of the total non-operative
expenses for this condition. Injection costs were the highest,
costing $988 on average per patient. Other expenses
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) Tonawanda neck and back pain patients
have an experienced chiropractic option in their chiropractor
at Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation.
INTERPROFESSIONAL REFERRAL FOR BACK PAIN CARE
Recent data revealed a 106% increase
in the number of physician visits for low back pain and extremity pain that led
to a referral to another physician partly
because of unsuccessful outpatient conservative treatment.
The study that talked about this finding concluded
with the suggestion that patients who are most likely to need surgery would be
referred to as their first subspeciality, a surgeon. Further,
patients who are less likely to need surgery would see
a non-operative spine specialist or primary care physician. (4)
Your Tonawanda chiropractor at Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation is well-prepared
to be the Tonawanda non-surgical spine specialist this article suggests
for our Tonawanda 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% gave an account of ‘improvement’
– just 30% or more decrease 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 scored
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 maintained: 71.6% at the end of active
care and 70% at 2-year follow-up. (7) Your Tonawanda chiropractor provides
just such relief and knows when to refer if needed.
CONTACT Chiropractic Spine Sports And Rehabilitation
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 reducing
post-surgical continued back pain.
Schedule your Tonawanda chiropractic
appointment now. Don’t let numbers concern
you. Let them lead you down the path to pain relief. See
you soon!