About the cost-effectiveness of Primary Spine Care

 

 

As it pertains to cost-effectiveness, the linchpin to seeking care from a Primary Spine Practitioner (PSP) is that the care of spine-related disorders (SRDs) can be kept in "check" by: 

 

• Identifying the 3-7% of the spine care population that actually require a more indepth investigation into their spinal condition (MRI, CT scans, injections, surgeries and specialist visits)

 

• Diagnosing your pain genator(s)

 

• Addressing any factors that are resulting in your pain developing or persisting

 

For more information please read the summaries below and follow the links if you wish.

 

• For the treatment of low back and neck pain, the inclusion of a Chiropractic [insurance] benefit resulted in a reduction in the rates of surgery, advanced imaging, inpatient care, and plain-film radiographs. This effect was greater on a per-episode basis than on a per-patient basis. [J Manipulative Physiol Ther.]

 

• Chiropractic care appeared relatively cost-effective for the treatment of chronic low back pain. Chiropractic and medical care performed comparably for acute patients. Practice-based clinical outcomes were consistent with systematic reviews of spinal manipulation efficacy: manipulation-based therapy is at least as good as and, in some cases, better than other therapeusis. This evidence can guide physicians, payers, and policy makers in evaluating chiropractic as a treatment option for low back pain. [J Manipulative Physiol Ther.]

 

• Spinal manipulation is a cost effective addition to "best care" for back pain in general practice. Manipulation alone probably gives better value for money than manipulation followed by exercise. [British Medical Journal]

 

• Access to managed Chiropractic care may reduce overall health care expenditures through several effects, including (1) positive risk selection; (2) substitution of chiropractic for traditional medical care, particularly for spine conditions; (3) more conservative, less invasive treatment profiles; and (4) lower health service costs associated with managed chiropractic care. Systematic access to managed chiropractic care not only may prove to be clinically beneficial but also may reduce overall health care costs. [Archives of Internal Medicine]

 

• Manual therapy (spinal mobilisation) is more effective and less costly for treating neck pain than physiotherapy or care by a general practitioner. [British Medical Journal]

 

• In daily practice, manual therapy is a favorable treatment option for patients with neck pain compared with physical therapy or continued care by a general practitioner. [Annals of Internal Medicine]