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. Back And Neck Care Center shares a few of the more
recent ones that are quite interesting and reassuring
of our Severna Park chiropractic method 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-published. Are they followed? Of 100 million patient
healthcare insurance claims, 56,000 experienced persistent low back
pain. These patients weren’t surgical candidates and had undergone conventional medical care. Of those 56,000,
60% utilized 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. Contrary to guidelines for low back pain treatment, most patients were given
opioids while several non-drug treatments were used 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 frequently
referred problems like low back pain and osteoarthritis. (2) The healthcare
costs of these patients were very substantial. (1) Severna Park
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 just 37.7% of the overall non-surgical
expenses for this condition. Injection costs were the greatest,
costing $988 on average per patient. Other costs
were – in order of cost expenditure - physical therapy ($510), medications (narcotics,
gabapentin, NSAIDs), bracing ($193), then chiropractic services
($193). 62% of overall costs for care of cervical radiculopathy went
to diagnostic modalities. (3) Severna Park neck and back pain sufferers
have an experienced chiropractor
at Back And Neck Care 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 led
to a referral to another physician partly
because of ineffective outpatient conservative treatment.
The study that discussed this finding ended
with the suggestion that patients who are most likely to need surgery would see a surgeon
as their first subspecialty referral visit. Further,
patients who are less likely to require surgery would meet with
a non-operative spine specialist or primary care physician. (4)
Your Severna Park chiropractor at Back And Neck Care Center is well-prepared
to be the Severna Park non-surgical spine specialist this article describes
for our Severna Park 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 reduction in disability - at one year follow-up. (5)
Chiropractors using the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management seek at minimum a 50% reduction of pain non-surgically
in 30 days. 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 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 Severna Park chiropractor provides
just such relief and understands when to refer if needed.
CONTACT Back And Neck Care Center
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Byron Folwell on The Back Doctors Podcast with
Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes The Cox® Technic
System of Spinal Pain Management incorporation for relieving
post-surgical continued back pain.
Make your Severna Park chiropractic
appointment now. Don’t let numbers worry
you. Let them lead you down the path to pain relief. See
you soon!