They say
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. Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. shares a few of the latest ones that are really interesting and supportive
of our Auburn 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-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% underwent physical therapy, 50% underwent
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 utilized by only a
few. (1) Another report detailed that 775,893 general practitioner
visits resulted in 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) Auburn
back pain treatment costs don’t vary that much.
COSTS OF BACK PAIN CARE
A review of Humana healthcare claims resulted in these findings: the pre-surgical costs
of conservative treatment options for cervical spine
radiculopathy were just 37.7% of the total non-surgical
expenses 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 were for diagnostic modalities. (3) Auburn neck and back pain patients
have an experienced chiropractor
at Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C..
INTERPROFESSIONAL REFERRAL FOR BACK PAIN CARE
New data revealed a 106% rise
in the number of physician visits for low back pain and extremity pain that resulted in referral to another physician partly
because of ineffective outpatient conservative treatment.
The study that talked about 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. Further,
patients who are less likely to need surgery would see
a non-operative spine specialist or primary care physician. (4)
Your Auburn chiropractor at Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. is ready
to be the Auburn non-surgical spine specialist this article describes
for our Auburn 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 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 Auburn chiropractor delivers
just such relief and knows when to refer if necessary.
CONTACT Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C.
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.
Schedule your Auburn chiropractic
appointment soon. Don’t let numbers scare
you. Let them enlighten your path to pain relief. See
you soon!