Well-managed Chiropractic
Care
Can Reduce Medical
Costs.....
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A 1991 RAND Corporation study entitled "The
Appropriateness of Spinal Manipulation for
Low Back Pain" endorsed the effectiveness of
manipulation in the treatment of low back
pain. The study encompassed several areas
including a comprehensive review of the
scientific literature. A 1992 issue of
The Journal of American Health Policy
outlined a Medstat report which found that
when benefit plans do not cover chiropractic
care, costs are 43% higher with 58% more
hospital admissions than plans which cover
chiropractic treatment.
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In 1993, the Ontario Ministry of Health
released a comprehensive study entitled "The
Effectiveness and Cost Effectiveness of
Chiropractic Management of Low Back Pain."
The study identified chiropractic care as a
clinically and cost effective method of
treating and managing low back pain. The
study found that when chiropractic care was
the first type of treatment used for low
back pain, medical costs were reduced, less
time was lost from work and there was
greater overall patient satisfaction. The
report concluded that the evidence from
Canada and other countries suggests
potential savings of hundreds of millions of
dollars each year from fewer
hospitalizations.
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In 1994, the federal government's Agency for
Health Care Policy and Research released a
set of clinical practice guidelines entitled
"Acute Low Back Problems in Adults:
Assessment and Treatment." In this study,
chiropractors, physical therapists and other
medical providers identified manipulation as
the recommended course of treatment for low
back pain.
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A study reported in a 1992 issue of The
Chiropractic Journal of Australia showed
that of 1,996 low back pain cases studied,
patients receiving chiropractic treatment
averaged 6.26 days lost from work versus
25.56 lost work days with standard medical
care.
