FACT: Chiropractic costs just 1/10 of 1% of all Medicare claims. (6)
FACT: From 2006 to 2008, Medicare experienced (6)
- 10% growth in total spending per beneficiary
- 16% growth in overall Medicare spending
- 18% reduction in chiropractic spinal manipulation per beneficiary spending
CONSIDERATION: Why isn't chiropractic's cost effectiveness and clinical effectiveness not more welcome in Medicare, in insurance, in the Richmond community?
You don't have to answer that, but know that Johnson Chiropractic offers effective chiropractic care.
1. TREATMENT
Chiropractic is a superior form of treating back pain. Johnson Chiropractic's goal is control of your pain, not cure. But a study of 42 chronic low back pain patients were randomly distributed into 2 groups for 8 sessions over 4 to 8 weeks:
- spinal manipulation/mobilization plus active exercise
- detuned ultrasound plus active exercise
The spinal manipulation group did better. Then, another study showed that manual therapy produced an immediate palliative effect over sham treatment. Followed by specific active exercises, manual therapy reduces significantly functional disability and tends to make a larger decrease in pain intensity compared to a control group. (1)
2. IMPROVEMENT
Johnson Chiropractic plans for our Richmond back pain patients to see results within 30 days. Chronic pain patients who report improvement at 1 month were more likely to be improved at 3 months. The most consistent predictor of clinically relevant improvement at both 1 and 3 months after the start of chiropractic treatment for both acute and chronic patients is if they report improvement early in the course of treatment. Even radiculopathy (arm or leg pain) or dizziness does not suggest a poorer prognosis in these patients. (2) Expectations of improvement and treatment at Johnson Chiropractic are research-documented.
3. IMAGING
Johnson Chiropractic recognizes that there is a place for MRI and imaging. However, MRI examinations are costly for images that may show multiple possible pain sources. It is then most important to correlate the MRI findings with symptoms from a physical examination. 76% of people without any pain show disc herniations on MRI (7). Your Richmond chiropractor also knows that nearly 20% of injured workers with low back pain receive early MRI. However, early MRI may lead to greater subsequent interventions, potentially poorer outcomes, and increased health care expenditures. On the basis of the characteristics of patients with uncomplicated occupational low back pain, providers may be able to provide personalized care without early MRI examinations. (3) Johnson Chiropractic often does.
4. REHABILITATION
Johnson Chiropractic also understands the importance of rehabilitation in your care. Hamstring stretching exercises areessential. This increase generates a more aligned spine thoracic curve and more anterior pelvic motion when flexion is performed. This protects your spine from injury while providing you with maximum comfort in your activities of daily living. (4) Stabilizing exercises with routine exercises in reduction of pain intensity, increasing functional ability and muscle endurance is vital for spine health. Johnson Chiropractic may well recommend stabilizing exercises to Richmond patients with low back segmental instability. (5)
So contact Johnson Chiropractic. Even though Medicare doesn't utilize chiropractic as it could, don’t let it stop you! Bring your back pain to us. We'll use our spinal manipulation to get you going! See you soon.