• Magazine
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • Change Mailing Address
    • Surveys
    • Guidelines for Authors
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Editorial Deadlines
  • Practice
    • Business Tips
    • Chiropractic Schools
    • Clinical & Technique
    • eBooks
    • eCourses
    • Infographics
    • Quizzes
    • Wellness & Nutrition
    • Personal Growth
    • Podcast
  • Resource Centers
  • Products & Services
    • Buyer’s Guide
    • Products Directory
    • Submit a Product
    • Vendor Login
  • Datebook
    • Become an Events Poster
    • Post an Event
    • View Events
  • Jobs
    • Jobs
    • Post a Job
  • Advertise
    • Advertising Information
    • Media Kit
    • Contact Us
    • Upload Advertising

Your Online Chiropractic Community

Chiropractic Economics Your Online Chiropractic Community
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Current Issue
  • News
  • Webinars
  • Chiropractic Research
  • Students
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19)

F4CP cites report in 'Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine' documenting role of chiropractic in better cost management of low back pain

Chiropractic Economics July 7, 2014

f4cplogoJuly 7, 2014 — The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the benefits of chiropractic care, points to the findings of a new study, “Tracking Low Back Problems in a Major Self-Insured Workforce: Toward Improvement in the Patient’s Journey,” (Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine; June 2014) which underscores the value that chiropractic brings to the delivery of care for low back pain.

The study examined the total direct (medical, pharmaceutical) and indirect (lost productivity, absenteeism, workers compensation, short and long-term disability) cost outcomes associated with care for back problems reported by workers at a major self-insured heavy manufacturer in the U.S.

Over a third of the 21,080 employees tracked from 2001 to 2009 reported one or more back problems. The analyses identified five treatment approaches based on the first six weeks of claims and used published guidelines to focus on the 10,406 low back pain episodes reported across the nine-year study period.

“Care congruent with 10 of the 11 guidelines we tested was linked to lower total costs,” lead author Harris Allen, PhD, commented. “Of the five approaches, which ranged from Complex Medical Management to Information and Advice, employee patients in the chiropractic group were the least likely to use any of the five most frequently prescribed classes of medications, to receive medically intensive procedures like surgeries, and to record guideline-incongruent use of imaging, medications, and procedures when the latter were delivered. They also averaged significantly lower total costs per episode, even when statistical adjustments were made to improve group comparability.”

The overall results added to the growing body of research that supports the proposition that good healthcare is good value. Yet, in some cases, cheaper care was not necessarily the better value, as was shown when chiropractor and physical therapist visits were further analyzed.

“The eleventh guideline we assessed was interpreted to recommend that the first visit to a chiropractor or physical therapist take place after a two-week waiting period,” Allen said. “Yet, we found that when this first visit to either type of provider occurred before the two-week mark, total costs were reduced. Adjusted, the estimates ranged from approximately $2,200 to $1,200 less than the overall average across years one, two, and three per episode for neurological diagnoses to approximately $1,100 to $200 less across years one, two, and three per episode for non-neurological diagnoses.”

While more research is needed, these findings indicate that delaying chiropractic care, although cheaper upfront, is likely to be linked to higher total costs over the long term.

When asked as an expert external to the project team for his assessment, Paul Papanek, MD, MPH, FACOEM, Speaker of the House of Delegates for the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and seasoned clinician in the treatment of employee low back pain, concluded, “This paper makes a significant contribution, and demonstrates that, by focusing on adherence to quality guidelines for low back care, company health plans and providers will see better outcomes and lower costs.”

Source: Foundation for Chiropractic Progress

Related Posts

  • New study finds opioid dependence can be minimized using chiropractic careNew study finds opioid dependence can be minimized using chiropractic care
  • Glucosamine doesn’t relieve low back painGlucosamine doesn’t relieve low back pain
  • New study shows majority of patients get more relief from low back pain with spinal manipulation therapyNew study shows majority of patients get more relief from low back pain with spinal manipulation therapy
  • Chiropractic recognized as key contributor in efficient treatment of back painChiropractic recognized as key contributor in efficient treatment of back pain
  • New studies support inclusion of chiropractic in collaborative careNew studies support inclusion of chiropractic in collaborative care
  • UnitedHealthCare-logoNew UnitedHealthcare benefit for low back pain helps reduce invasive procedures and address the opioid epidemic

Filed Under: Chiropractic News, News

Current Issue

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube logoYouTube logoYouTube

820 A1A N Highway W18,

Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082

Phone 904.285.6020

Fax 904.395.9118

CONTACT US »

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Copyright © 2021, All Rights Reserved

SUBSCRIBE TO THE MAGAZINE

Get Chiropractic Economics magazine
delivered to your home or office. Just
fill out our form to request your FREE
subscription for 20 issues a year,
including two annual Buyers Guides.

SUBSCRIBE NOW »

Latest Chiropractic News

  • Troy Healthcare debuts clinically-validated topical migraine and headache formula
  • Colorado allows chiropractors to give COVID-19 vaccine shots
  • American Chiropractic Association lauds U.S. Congress passing fair competition health legislation
    The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) lauded the U.S. Congress for passing legislation that will promote fair competition in health...
x