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 United State 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 paid for by insurers,
low back pain and
neck pain were the costliest at $134.5 billion.
(What conditions followed? #2 was musculoskeletal disorders, and #3 was diabetes care.) (1) In
one study of Medicare expenditures for
chiropractic spine care, researchers found
that $400 to $500 million was spent each year. They also noted
that
more accessibility to chiropractic lowered the
reliance on primary care services for spine pain
conditions. Further, some financial savings for care
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 get themselves to a healthcare practitioner,
and many go to chiropractors. Chiropractors are recognized
for their care of the spine and spine-related, musculoskeletal conditions. A recent
study noted that they, predictably, most
often chose
spinal manipulation for clinical encounters involving spinal conditions and soft tissue approaches for
extremity pain conditions.
(3) Chiropractors are well-trained to
diagnose co-morbidities, conditions that spine pain patients experience in addition to spine pain that are not spine related. Researchers are presently collecting
data that will reveal just how many of these types of
conditions chiropractors see 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 using
The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
TIP OF THE MONTH: Understand Spinal Muscle Care: Electrical Current
Care of the spinal muscles is important,
too. This applies to the young and old! For the older
folks, it’s really important as loss of skeletal
spinal mass - which alters 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 supports!) is helpful in improving
spinal muscle. Interferential current was said to be better
than placebo at lowering pain and disability right
after use in chronic low back pain patients. (7) Your individualized Williamson chiropractic treatment plan may include such adjunct
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 Apple Country Chiropractic
Set your next Williamson
chiropractic appointment with Apple Country Chiropractic now.
We look forward to seeing you soon! And we're happy to share our chiropractic services to help relieve your pain.
