Low back pain is one of the major causes for lost working days in the UK. It is the second most common cause for sick leave in workers generally – and the primary cause for those with manual jobs.
We only have statistics for working people who suffer from back pain, but what about those who do not show up on these statistics, for example mothers with young children or stay at home carers for others with disabilities? Becoming incapacitated with back pain is even more costly for them in terms of the effect on those for whom they care.
There have been many surveys on the cost effectiveness as well as the effectiveness of Chiropractic. in countries such as the United States, where primary health care is not free at the point of delivery. Here in the UK though, there are other considerations to add to the mix. True, NHS care is free,
Some employers are now offering free Chiropractic care to their employees as they are finding that this saves them money in lost production, the cost of sick pay and so on. Staff of employers who provide private medical insurance are able to access Chiropractic treatment at no additional cost.
For self-employed people for whom time really is money, lost working days are something they can ill-afford and their back pain can be crippling both physically and financially.
Chiropractic is a low risk and drug-free method so it saves money on prescription medications and repeated visits to GPs, tying up their time. If the problem is allowed to progress to the point of needing Surgery, the cost to the NHS is huge. The Evidence For The Cost Effectiveness of Chiropractic
The 2004 BMJ ‘BEAM’ Trial (Back pain, Exercise and Manipulation) showed that adding Chiropractic spinal manipulation and appropriate exercises to GP care resulted in lower overall treatment costs and more benefits to the patient than GP care alone. Their recommendation was that exercise and manipulation “provided cost effective additions to general practice”. The greatest difference in the benefit to patients was seen at the twelve month mark in patients who had received spinal manipulation with a follow-up exercise plan.
An extract from a report on the Manga study conducted with 323 patients in 1998, shows that patients who sought Chiropractic help for a back pain problem within the first seven days had better outcomes than a similar group who had physiotherapy.
The Croft report on a South Manchester study of 490 men and women in the 18 – 75 age group showed that 90% of people with back pain had stopped visiting their GP within three months of their initial consultation. However, when these patients were surveyed a year later, only 25% would say that they had recovered completely – most were still experiencing substantial pain and disability. One could deduce from this that people just ‘gave up’ – believing that back pain was something they had to live with because the medical care they had been given just did not work.
The Evidence Is Clear
Chiropractic is a cost effective way of treating low back pain. It could get you out of pain more quickly, reduce the number of days you need to take off work and can facilitate a more speedy return to normal daily activities.
As the Croft report states,
“Low back pain should be viewed as a chronic problem with an untidy pattern of grumbling symptoms and periods of relative freedom from pain and disability interspersed with acute episodes, exacerbations, and recurrences.”
In terms of long-term outcomes, it is clear that taking early action and visiting your Chiropractor when symptoms strike rather than putting up with them and receiving regular, maintenance Chiropractic care to minimize the risk of further episodes of pain is, by far, the best option.
So don’t delay, call us on 01962 861188 today – you do not need to put up with the misery of back pain.
