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.
(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 stated
that
more accessibility to chiropractic reduced the
reliance on primary care services for spine pain
conditions. Further, some financial savings for treatment
of spine pain conditions was reported for ambulatory
patients that may well add up to large savings since
spine pain conditions are so common in older adults. (2)
Ambulatory patients can take themselves to a healthcare practitioner,
and many find their way to chiropractors. Chiropractors are recognized
for their care of the spine and spine-related, musculoskeletal conditions. A recent
study noted that they, not surprisingly, most
often elected to use
spinal manipulation for clinical treatments
of 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 spine related. Researchers are working on gathering
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 a basis for chiropractors’
intensive diagnostic training and comfort 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,
well-researched manner often using
The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
TIP OF THE MONTH: Understand Spinal Muscle Care: Electrical Current
Paying attention to the spinal muscles is important,
too. This applies to young and old alike! For the older
folks, it’s really important as loss of skeletal
spinal mass - which affects lumbar lordosis, too -
makes them vulnerable to chronic low back pain. (5) Fatty infiltration of the
paraspinal muscles showed a significant relationship to
a greater risk of back pain and disability in a recent study. (6)
Electrical stimulation (as well as exercise and nutrition
which your chiropractor also supports!) is helpful in enhancing
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 Vancouver chiropractic treatment plan may incorporate such additional
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 treat and contain
back pain in a patient with degenerative disc disease.
CONTACT Vancouver Disc Centers
Schedule your next Vancouver
chiropractic appointment with Vancouver Disc Centers now.
We’ll see you soon! And we're happy to share our chiropractic services to help relieve your pain.
