They say
numbers don’t lie. There are lots of numbers available
in the world of back pain and neck pain statistics regarding costs and
outcomes. Spine & Sports Rehab Center shares a few of the more
recent ones that are quite interesting and supportive
of our Baton Rouge chiropractic method integrating
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 put into action? Of 100 million patient
healthcare insurance claims, 56,000 had persistent low back
pain. These patients weren’t surgical candidates and had undergone conventional medical care. Of those 56,000,
60% utilized physical therapy, 50% underwent
chiropractic, 26% got steroid injections and 66% used
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 given
opioids while several non-drug treatments were utilized by only a
few. (1) Another report stated that 775,893 general practitioner
visits led to 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 quite large. (1) Baton Rouge
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 total non-operative
expenses for this condition. Injection costs were the greatest,
costing $988 on average per patient. Other costs
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) Baton Rouge neck and back pain sufferers
have an experienced chiropractor
at Spine & Sports Rehab Center.
INTERPROFESSIONAL REFERRAL FOR BACK PAIN CARE
Recent data showed a 106% increase
in the number of physician visits for low back pain and extremity pain that led
to a referral to another physician partly
because of ineffective outpatient conservative treatment.
The study that discussed 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. Additionally,
patients who are less likely to need surgery would see
a non-operative spine specialist or primary care physician. (4)
Your Baton Rouge chiropractor at Spine & Sports Rehab Center is ready
to be the Baton Rouge non-surgical spine specialist this article suggests
for our Baton Rouge 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 reduction 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 a month. 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 more 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 Baton Rouge chiropractor provides
just such relief and knows when to refer if necessary.
CONTACT Spine & Sports Rehab Center
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 integration for relieving
post-surgical continued back pain.
Make your Baton Rouge chiropractic
appointment soon. Do not let numbers concern
you. Let them enlighten your path to pain relief. See
you soon!