Chiropractic Care Proves Most Cost Effective Care For Spine

Medical doctors routinely send patients with spinal related pain to physical therapists. However, chiropractic is proving to be more effective and less costly.

Online PR News – 04-February-2018 –

Chiropractic Care Proves Most Cost Effective Care For Spine spine related pain conditions continue to be some of the most costly conditions in the U.S. In fact, according to a Journal of the American Medical Association report, low back and neck pain are the 3rd most costly conditions resulting in almost 90 billion in healthcare expenditures in 2016. Only diabetes and ischemic heart disease resulted in more costs.

Therefore, researchers are spending much effort in finding the most cost effective solutions for mechanical spine pain; pain caused by malfunction of the spinal joints, discs or nerves. This type of spine pain is estimated to account for about 90% of all spine pain syndromes. Over and over again, chiropractic is proving to not only be the most effective treatment for mechanical spine pain, but it is also coming out on top for being the least costly.

According to a 2016 study reported in the prestigious Spine Journal, for adults with mechanical spine pain, chiropractic plus home exercise proved to have better outcomes and lower costs compared with physical therapy. This goes against the grain of what most medical physicians do for their patients with low back and neck pain; which is, to send them right to a physical therapist.

However, according to Dr. Christopher Kawa, a Chiropractor in Brick NJ , “The reason chiropractic is so effective is that before patients are given exercises and stretches, chiropractors work to ensure that all the joints in their patients spine and pelvis are moving correctly. This is something that physical therapists are not trained to do.” In fact, says Dr. Kawa, “Chiropractors are experts in restoring proper motion patterns in the spine ‘first’, so that the nervous system can then change the way it’s ‘holding’ the body in alignment. This is crucial to long-term healing and thus reducing costs of care.”

Another study in 2012 from the journal, Medical Care, showed that using chiropractors for spine related issues, resulted in $424 lower adjusted annual healthcare costs and had significantly lower hospitalization expenditures. These findings, however, did not even account for drug costs which undoubtedly would save even more. (Dr. Christopher Kawa is a wellness consultant and Chiropractor in Brick NJ )