The Surprising Benefits of Chiropractic Care
For over 100 years, chiropractic care has been and used to treat musculoskeletal conditions outside of the traditional medical model. Traditional medical model treatments include medication, injections, surgery, and more. The surprising benefits of chiropractic care are numerous, it is more cost-effective and can reduce the need for other procedures in care for a start. This can mean that it benefits the healthcare system and patient.
A study from 2019 used 95 patients at a community center with either sub acute or chronic low back pain. Researchers found that 70% of patients that received chiropractic care had improvements in disability and pain and only cost the healthcare system around $1000. Most patients didn’t require other medical treatments, so this means that the introduction of chiropractic treatment in this setting lessens the cost of healthcare per patient between 2000 and 6000. Another study in 2021 looked at Medicare claims from 28,000 adults with chronic low back pain. It found that long-term costs were less when patients use chiropractic care as their first form of care rather than opioid therapy.
Another surprising benefit of chiropractic care is shwon in a study that found seniors with back pain are two times more likely to experience a higher need for care if their treatment involves opioids opposed to spinal manipulation. A 2020 study concluded that patients who experienced spinal pain that see a chiropractor as their first treatment are less likely to receive these other forms of medical care.
These invasive procedures put a patient at risk for harmful side effects or complications. Some more Medicare claims found that seniors who sought out treatment for low back pain are 42 times more likely to experience a drug event in five years if opioids are their first choice of care.
Chiropractic treatment is less invasive and more safe, and can help a patient return to normal activities without harmful side effects of other medical procedures. It reduces the need for other healthcare services, and this helps save the patients and healthcare provider money. These are just a few surprising benefits of chiropractic care.
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