Facts about chiropractic care and back and neck pain!

Facts about chiropractic care and back and neck pain:

• Recent research and reports have concluded that increased use

of chiropractic care can reduce benefit costs and contribute to

improved productivity. As well, patients treated by a chiropractor

for back pain returned to work sooner and had reduced rates of

chronic problems and hospitalization.

• Low-back pain affects 85% of the working population. Health

Canada estimates that musculoskeletal disorders, including back

pain, cost society $16.4 billion in combined direct (treatment and

rehabilitation) and indirect (lost-productivity) costs.

• According to Health Canada, back pain is the second most common

reason for seeing a medical doctor.

• Chiropractors are spinal care experts and the obvious practitioner

of choice when it comes to the treatment of back pain, injury

and related conditions. Close to one million Albertans consult a

chiropractor each year.

• Chiropractors receive the highest patient satisfaction ratings

for the treatment of back and neck pain according to Consumer

Reports, the Health Quality Council of Alberta, and a nation-wide

In 2009, Niteesh Choudry, M.D. PhD, Harvard Medical School

and Arnold Milstein, M.D., MPH, conducted an

analysis of the cost-effectiveness of chiropractic for neck and back pain.

The authors concluded there is reasonable data to show that chiropractic

could be effective and cost-efficient service for relief of pain and reduction

and disability:

• In the case of neck pain, chiropractic manipulation is less costly in

comparison to physician care and exercise, and yields better outcomes.

• In the case of back pain, chiropractic treatment is both less costly and

yields improved outcomes in comparison to physical therapy.

Interesting statistics to consider:

• Neck and Back Pain represented the fourth highest total health and

productivity cost to employers.

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) reported

substantial savings, achieved ROI targets and fostered positive

relationships with network partners as a result of chiropractic service

implementation.

Back pain is a leading cause of prescription

and non-prescription drug use, medical

visits, costly and specialized diagnostic

procedures, hospitalizations, and restricted

physical activity. Back claims account for more than 25% of all lost-time

claims reported to the WCB - Alberta.

Dr. Sally Nikolaj, Former Director, Millard Rehabilitation Centre,

WCB - Alberta stated, “Our evaluation of performance data confirms that

timely application of evidence-based chiropractic care represents a very

good investment with respect to return-to-work outcomes, stakeholder

satisfaction and management of related costs.”

Ontario statistics also show that patients receiving chiropractic treatment

return to work in less the half the time than those treated with other

methods. Acute Low Back Injuries: One Year Evaluation, WSIB Ontario,



For more information on chiropractic or to book an appointment with Dr. Stephen Kelly or Dr. Joelle Johnson please call us at Family First Chiropractic and Wellness, 142 Erickson drive, Red Deer 403-347-3261.
www.family1stchiro.ca