Being a chiropractor, OF COURSE the first thing I’m going to talk to you about is back pain. If you’re reading this, I’m willing to bet you’ve experienced low back pain at some point in your life, am I right? It’s okay! You are NOT alone! In fact, up to 85% of the American population suffers from low back pain at least once in their lifetime, and a quarter of those experience low back pain every 3 months! Now I know what you’re thinking, “Wow, Doc! That’s so fascinating!” I know, right? And since this is such a prevalent issue, I’m here to talk to you about some of the things to consider when deciding what to do about it. The 2 most common options for back relief are to seek care from a Medical Doctor (MD) or a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC). So, what’s the difference? Which is the right choice for me? Don’t worry, I’m here to help!
As a chiropractor, the 2 most common questions I get from patients are, “Can you help me?” and “How much is this going to cost me?” Now, the short answer is yes, chiropractic CAN help, and it doesn’t cost as much as you might think! “But, Dr. Squires, I want the stats!” Okay, okay, I’m getting there! To help me answer these questions, I have referenced an article from the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics titled “Cost of Care for Common Back Pain Conditions Initiated with Chiropractic Doctor vs. Medical Doctor/Doctor of Osteopathy as First Physician.” The study looks at over 85K cases of mechanical low back pain (meaning there is a musculoskeletal cause of pain, i.e. muscle, bone, joint, etc…) and the outcome is interesting. Of the 85% of the population suffering from low back pain, only about 20% of those individuals will opt for chiropractic care as an initial means of treatment whereas the remaining 80% seek care from a medical doctor. However, 61% of chiropractic patients report being satisfied with their recovery whereas only 27% of medical patients reported being satisfied with their care. So even though a smaller percentage of people chose chiropractic, a majority of those were satisfied with their care!
Now, it comes a no shock to anyone that treatments for low back pain are costly, (anything medically related always is) but which option is more cost effective? What MAY come as a shock to you is that paid visits with a chiropractor were almost 40% less than visits to an MD! 40% less! That means that not only is chiropractic more effective at treating musculoskeletal low back pain, but it’s also cheaper, and patients are more satisfied with their outcomes! To me the choice is clear, but my opinion may be a little biased! Check out the study below and tell me what you think!
REFERENCE ARTICLE:
Liliedahl, R. L., Finch, M. D., Axene, D. V., & Goertz, C. M. (2010). Cost of Care for Common Back Pain Conditions Initiated With Chiropractic Doctor vs Medical Doctor/Doctor of Osteopathy as First Physician: Experience of One Tennessee-Based General Health Insurer. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 33(9), 640–643. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2010.08.018
