Aurora Chiropractic Center Treats Back Pain and Neck Pain Cost and Pain-Reducing Effectively

They say numbers don’t lie. There are lots of numbers available in the world of back pain and neck pain statistics regarding costs and outcomes. Aurora Chiropractic Center shares a few of the more recent ones that are quite interesting and supportive of our Juneau chiropractic approach integrating 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 followed? Of 100 million patient healthcare insurance claims, 56,000 had persistent low back pain. These patients weren’t surgical candidates and had undergone conventional medical care. Of those 56,000, 60% underwent physical therapy, 50% underwent chiropractic, 26% received steroid injections and 66% took prescribed pain meds (57% opioids, 38% muscle relaxants). Were guidelines followed? Not exactly. At odds with low back pain treatment guidelines, most patients were prescribed opioids while several non-drug treatments were utilized by only a few. (1) Another report stated that 775,893 general practitioner visits resulted in 6,904 referrals (just 0.89%) to physiotherapy, a non-drug treatment choice for commonly referred problems like low back pain and osteoarthritis. (2) The healthcare costs of these patients were quite substantial. (1) Juneau 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 only 37.7% of the overall non-operative expenses for this condition. Injection costs were the greatest, 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 modalities.  (3) Juneau neck and back pain sufferers have an experienced chiropractor at Aurora Chiropractic Center.

INTERPROFESSIONAL REFERRAL FOR BACK PAIN CARE

New 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 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 meet with a non-surgical spine specialist or primary care physician. (4) Your Juneau chiropractor at Aurora Chiropractic Center is well-prepared to be the Juneau non-surgical spine specialist this article suggests for our Juneau 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 seek 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 greater 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 Juneau chiropractor provides just such relief and knows when to refer if necessary.

CONTACT Aurora 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 reducing post-surgical continued back pain.

Schedule your Juneau chiropractic appointment today. Do not let numbers concern you. Let them lead you down the path to pain relief. See you soon!