Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office Treats Back Pain and Neck Pain Cost and Pain-Reducing Effectively

Have you heard it said that 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. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office presents a few of the more recent ones that are really interesting and supportive of our Groton 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 observed? 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% experienced chiropractic, 26% got steroid injections and 66% took prescribed pain meds (57% opioids, 38% muscle relaxants). Were guidelines followed? Not exactly. Contrary to 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 stated that 775,893 general practitioner visits led to 6,904 referrals (just 0.89%) to physiotherapy, a non-pharmacological treatment option for commonly referred problems like low back pain and osteoarthritis. (2) The healthcare costs of these patients were quite substantial. (1) Groton 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 only 37.7% of the overall non-surgical costs for this condition. Injection costs were the highest, coming in at $988 on average per patient. Other costs 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) Groton neck and back pain patients have an experienced chiropractor at Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office.

INTERPROFESSIONAL REFERRAL FOR BACK PAIN CARE

New data revealed a 106% increase in the number of physician visits for low back pain and extremity pain that resulted in referral to another physician inpart because of ineffective outpatient conservative treatment. The study that presented 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. Further, patients who are less likely to need surgery would see a non-operative spine specialist or primary care physician. (4) Your Groton chiropractor at Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office is ready to be the Groton non-surgical spine specialist this article suggests for our Groton 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 decrease in disability - at one year follow-up. (5) Chiropractors using the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management strive for 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 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 Groton chiropractor delivers just such relief and understands when to refer if needed.

CONTACT Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office

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 incorporation for reducing post-surgical continued back pain.

Make your Groton chiropractic appointment now. Don’t let numbers worry you. Let them enlighten your path to pain relief. See you soon!