Back
Pain Helped by Accessible Chiropractic Care in Cost and Relief
Back pain and neck pain are often
painful as well as costly and oftentimes complex. Overall health care
spending in the US keeps increasing: $1.4
trillion in 1996 to $3.1 trillion in 2016. It makes up 18% of
the US economy as of 2020. Of the top 154 conditions that insurers pay for
the coverage of,
low back pain and
neck pain were the costliest at $134.5 billion.
(If you’re
curious, #2 was musculoskeletal disorders, and #3 was diabetes care.) (1) In
one study of Medicare expenditures for
spinal care by chiropractors, researchers found
that $400 to $500 million was spent each year. They also stated
that
more accessibility to chiropractic reduced the
reliance on primary care services for spine pain
conditions. Further, some monetary savings for treatment
of spine pain conditions was seen in the care of ambulatory
patients that may well add up to bigger savings since
spine pain conditions are so common in older adults. (2)
Ambulatory patients can take themselves to a healthcare provider,
and many go to chiropractors. Chiropractors are recognized
for their care of the spine and spine-related, musculoskeletal conditions. A new
study reported that they, predictably, most
often elected to use
spinal manipulation for clinical treatments
of spinal conditions and soft tissue approaches for
extremity pain conditions.
(3) Chiropractors are well-trained to
diagnose co-morbidities, conditions that spine pain patients have in addition to spine pain that are not spine related. Researchers are working on gathering
data that will show just how many of these types of
conditions chiropractors find in their patients.
(4) This existence
of non-spine related conditions is the basis for chiropractors’
intensive diagnostic training and familiarity with co-management
with other medical care as needed. Your chiropractor is prepared
to examine, diagnose, and treat your
spine-related pain condition regardless of its complexity in a cost-effective, gentle,
evidence-based manner often via
The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
TIP OF THE MONTH: Understand Spinal Muscle Care: Electrical Current
Care of the spinal muscles is essential,
too. This applies to young and old alike! For the older
folks, it is really important as loss of skeletal
spinal mass - which affects lumbar lordosis, too -
makes them vulnerable to chronic low back pain. (5) Fatty infiltration of the
paraspinal muscles showed a significant relationship to
a higher risk of back pain and disability in a recent study. (6)
Electrical stimulation (in addition to exercise and nutrition
which your chiropractor also encourages!) is helpful in enhancing
spinal muscle. Interferential current was said to be better
than placebo at reducing pain and disability immediately
after use in chronic low back pain patients. (7) Your individualized Juneau chiropractic treatment plan may incorporate such add-on
care along with spinal manipulation. Embrace it!
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Jay Young on The Back Doctors Podcast with
Dr. Michael Johnson about use of The
Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management to manage
back pain in a patient with degenerative disc disease.
CONTACT Aurora Chiropractic Center
Set your next Juneau
chiropractic visit with Aurora Chiropractic Center now.
We look forward to seeing you soon! And we're happy to share our chiropractic services to help relieve your pain.
