A new study has shown chiropractic to be more cost-effective than medical treatment for chronic low back pain. The study was published in October 2005 by the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
The Significance of the Study
The study reveals that while both Chiropractic and medical treatment cost about the same, the chiropractic care resulted in better results for patients. The outcomes measured include:
This study is the first of its kind that has explored treatment costs and their associated outcomes for low back pain within the U.S. health care system.
The study looked at 2780 patients who decided to see either a chiropractor or a medical doctor for their pain. The patients were studied both 3 months and 1 year after their first visit to their chosen physician.
Treatment Methods
The medical doctor gave patients:
The chiropractor gave patients:
Findings
The study found that although office visit costs were higher for chiropractic treatment, total costs of chiropractic care per patient were 16% lower than for medical care. Total care included the office visits, plus diagnostic imaging and physical therapy. This study did not account for any over-the-counter meds, surgery or visits to the hospital that may have been associated with the cases. The study also showed that patients with chronic pain derived more benefit than those with acute pain from the chiropractic treatments. It also revealed that acute care patients who sought out a chiropractor enjoyed healthier physical outcomes than acute care patients of medical doctors.
Bibliography
EurekAlert!,"New study shows chiropractic is cost-effective in treating chronic back pain", http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-11/aca-nss111505.php
Suggested Reading
Read about a pilot study suggesting that Chiropractic is as effective as 2 blood pressure tablets for lowering high blood pressure.
http://backandneck.about.com/b/2007/03/23/chiropractic-advancement.htm