Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka Treats Back Pain and Neck Pain Cost and Pain-Reducing Effectively

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. Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka shares a few of the more recent ones that are really interesting and supportive of our Sitka 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 followed? Of 100 million patient healthcare insurance claims, 56,000 had persistent low back pain. These patients weren’t surgical candidates and had gone through conventional medical care. Of those 56,000, 60% utilized 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. At odds with guidelines for low back pain treatment, 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 resulted in 6,904 referrals (just 0.89%) to physiotherapy, a non-pharmacological treatment option for frequently referred problems like low back pain and osteoarthritis. (2) The healthcare costs of these patients were very substantial. (1) Sitka 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 options for cervical spine radiculopathy were just 37.7% of the overall 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), then chiropractic services ($193). 62% of overall costs for care of cervical radiculopathy were for diagnostic modalities.  (3) Sitka neck and back pain sufferers have an experienced chiropractor at Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka.

INTERPROFESSIONAL REFERRAL FOR BACK PAIN CARE

New data showed a 106% rise 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 ended with the suggestion that patients who are most likely to need surgery would be referred to as their first subspeciality, a surgeon. Additionally, patients who are less likely to need surgery would see a non-surgical spine specialist or primary care physician. (4) Your Sitka chiropractor at Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka is ready to be the Sitka non-surgical spine specialist this article suggests for our Sitka 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% gave an account of ‘improvement’ – just 30% or more reduction in disability - at one year follow-up. (5) Chiropractors using the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management seek at minimum a 50% reduction of pain non-surgically in a month. In a 1000 cases study of Cox® Technic treatment outcomes, leg pain radicular patients improved significantly better 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 more 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 Sitka chiropractor provides just such relief and understands when to refer if needed.

CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Byron Folwell on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management integration for relieving post-surgical continued back pain.

Make your Sitka chiropractic appointment soon. Don’t let numbers scare you. Let them lead you down the path to pain relief. See you soon!