it's all in the research
Gone are the days when it could be said that Chiropractic care is ‘unscientific’. A RAND Study led by Dr Paul Shekelle (a MD at UCLA) revealed “Spinal manipulation is the most commonly used conservative treatment for back pain supported, by the most research evidence of effectiveness in terms of early results and long-term effectiveness”. The study went on to say that Chiropractors treated twice as many back pain patients as medical doctors for 30% of the cost!
The MEDSTAT Project lead by Miron Stano, PhD (health care economist and professor) analysed a database consisting of almost 400,000 chiropractic patients. The results were astonishing! Health plans that had limited or no chiropractic coverage had the highest total costs per patient! Moreover, broader coverage of chiropractic services results in dramatically lower health care costs as follows:
- 35% lower hospital admission rates
- 42% lower inpatient payments
- 23% lower total health care costs
The UTAH Study evaluated 3,062 separate work related injuries and found that chiropractic care was more cost-effective than medical care, and returned patients to work 10 times sooner than those under medical care!
It doesn’t take a scientist to see that chiropractic care is no longer just an alternative treatment method, but instead a vital part of the health care system!
Sources:
1. Shekelle, PG, et al. “the Appropriateness of Spinal Manipulation for Low Back Pain.” 1991; RAND/ UCLA, Santa Monica, CA. Monograph No. R-4025/2-CCR/FCER.
2. Stano, M, PhD, et al. MEDSTAT Data Base Review. The Journal of American Health Policy. 1992; Vol. 2, No.6.
3. Jarvis, K.B., et al. “Cost per Case Comparison of back Injury Claims of Chiropractic versus Medical Management for Conditions with Identical Diagnostic Codes.” Journal of Occupational Medicine, 1991; Vol.33, August, pp. 847-851.