Have you heard it said that numbers don’t lie? With all the numbers out there about back and neck pain
costs and outcomes, we can put that to the test. Amelia Chiropractic Clinic shares a few of the latest ones that are really interesting and supportive
of our Fernandina Beach chiropractic approach using
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 put into action? 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% underwent physical therapy, 50% experienced
chiropractic, 26% got steroid injections and 66% used
prescribed pain meds (57% opioids, 38% muscle relaxants). Were guidelines followed? Not exactly. In contradiction
to low
back pain treatment guidelines, most patients were given
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-drug treatment option for commonly
referred problems like low back pain and osteoarthritis. (2) The healthcare
costs of these patients were very substantial. (1) Fernandina Beach
back pain treatment costs are not that different.
COSTS OF BACK PAIN CARE
According
to a review of Humana insurance claims, the pre-surgical costs
of conservative treatment alternatives for cervical spine
radiculopathy were only 37.7% of the total non-operative
expenses for this condition. Injection costs were the greatest,
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), and chiropractic services
($193). 62% of overall costs for care of cervical radiculopathy went
to diagnostic modalities. (3) Fernandina Beach neck and back pain sufferers
have an experienced chiropractic option in their chiropractor
at Amelia Chiropractic Clinic.
INTERPROFESSIONAL REFERRAL FOR BACK PAIN CARE
New data revealed a 106% increase
in the number of physician visits for low back pain and extremity pain that resulted in 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 meet with 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 Fernandina Beach chiropractor at Amelia Chiropractic Clinic is ready
to be the Fernandina Beach non-surgical spine specialist this article describes
for our Fernandina Beach 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 decrease in disability - at one year follow-up. (5)
Chiropractors using the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management seek at minimum a 50% decrease 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 continued: 71.6% at the end of active
care and 70% at 2-year follow-up. (7) Your Fernandina Beach chiropractor delivers
just such relief and knows when to refer if necessary.
CONTACT Amelia Chiropractic Clinic
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 Fernandina Beach chiropractic
appointment now. Do not let numbers concern
you. Let them enlighten your path to pain relief. See
you soon!