October 2023 Healthy News from Pure Chiropractic Accessible Chiropractic Care Helps Back Pain and Spinal Muscles: Reduced Costs and Relief

 

Back pain and neck pain are not only painful but also costly and oftentimes complex. Overall health care spending in the United State keeps rising: $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. (If you’re curious, #2 was musculoskeletal disorders, and #3 was diabetes care.) (1) In one study of Medicare expenditures for chiropractic spine care, researchers reported that $400 to $500 million was spent each year. They also noted that higher accessibility to chiropractic reduced the reliance on primary care services for spine pain conditions. Further, some monetary 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 take themselves to a healthcare provider, and many find their way to chiropractors. Chiropractors are recognized for their care of the spine and spine-related, musculoskeletal conditions. A recent study reported that they, not surprisingly, usually elected to use 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 have in addition to spine pain that are not related to the spine. Researchers are working on gathering data that will show 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 comfort with co-management with other medical care as is necessary. Your chiropractor is ready to examine, diagnose, and treat your spine-related pain condition no matter its complexity in a cost-effective, gentle, well-researched manner often using The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.