Have you heard it said that numbers don’t lie? There are lots of numbers available
in the world of back pain and neck pain statistics regarding costs and
outcomes. Aaron Chiropractic Clinic presents a few of the latest ones that are really interesting and supportive
of our Fort Wayne 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-established. Are they followed? Of 100 million patient
healthcare insurance claims, 56,000 experienced persistent low back
pain. These patients were not surgical candidates and had undergone conventional medical care. Of those 56,000,
60% utilized physical therapy, 50% experienced
chiropractic, 26% got steroid injections and 66% took
prescribed pain meds (57% opioids, 38% muscle relaxants). Were guidelines followed? Not exactly. In contradiction
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-pharmacological treatment choice for commonly
referred problems like low back pain and osteoarthritis. (2) The healthcare
costs of these patients were quite large. (1) Fort Wayne
back pain treatment costs are not that different.
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 overall non-surgical
costs for this condition. Injection costs were the highest,
coming in at $988 on average per patient. Other expenses
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 tests and such. (3) Fort Wayne neck and back pain sufferers
have an experienced chiropractic option in their chiropractor
at Aaron Chiropractic Clinic.
INTERPROFESSIONAL REFERRAL FOR BACK PAIN CARE
Recent data showed a 106% increase
in the number of physician visits for low back pain and extremity pain that led
to a referral to another physician inpart
because of unsuccessful outpatient conservative treatment.
The study that discussed 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. Additionally,
patients who are less likely to need surgery would see
a non-operative spine specialist or primary care physician. (4)
Your Fort Wayne chiropractor at Aaron Chiropractic Clinic is well-prepared
to be the Fort Wayne non-surgical spine specialist this article suggests
for our Fort Wayne 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 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 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 Fort Wayne chiropractor provides
just such relief and understands when to refer if necessary.
CONTACT Aaron Chiropractic Clinic
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 Fort Wayne chiropractic
appointment now. Do not let numbers worry
you. Let them enlighten your path to pain relief. See
you soon!