Back Pain Statistics
Although doctors of chiropractic (DCs)
care for more than just back pain, many patients visit DCs
looking for relief from this pervasive condition.
Thirty-one million Americans have low back pain at any
given time (1). One half of all working Americans admit to
having back symptoms each year (2). One third of all Americans
over age 18 had a back problem in the past five years severe
enough for them to seek professional help (3). And the cost of
this care is estimated to be a staggering $50 Billion
yearly--and that's just for the more easily identified costs!
(4).
These are just some of the astounding
facts about Americans and their miserable backs! Is there any
wonder why some experts estimate that as many as 80% of all of
us will experience a back problem at some time in our lives?
(5).
Because back problems are this common
it's probably going to happen to you too! Shouldn't you find
out what to do about it before it happens rather than
after? Why wait until you're hurting to learn about
your treatment options?
When you're hurting you may not give
this important decision the time and attention it needs to
make the best choice. Here are the facts about manipulation
as a treatment for back problems:
Manipulation is one of several
established forms of treatment used for back problems. Used
primarily by Doctors of Chiropractic (DCs) for the last
century, manipulation has been largely ignored by most others
in the health care community until recently. Now, with today's
growing emphasis on treatment and cost effectiveness,
manipulation is receiving much more widespread attention. In
fact, after an extensive study of all currently available care
for low back problems, the Agency for Health Care Policy and
Research--a federal government research
organization--recommended that low back pain suffers choose
the most conservative care first. And it recommended spinal
manipulation as the ONLY safe and effective, DRUGLESS form of
initial professional treatment for acute low back problems in
adults! (6). Chiropractic manipulation, also frequently called
the chiropractic adjustment, is the form of manipulation that
has been most extensively used by Americans for the last one
hundred years. (7). Satisfied chiropractic patients already
know that DCs are uniquely trained and experienced in
diagnosing back problems and are the doctors most skilled in
using manipulation for the treatment of back pain and related
disorders (8). As a public service, the American Chiropractic
Association (ACA) urges you to make an informed choice about
your back care. To learn more about the federal government's
recommendations and how chiropractic manipulation may help
you, contact a Doctor of Chiropractic in your area.
References:
1. Jensen M, Brant-Zawadzki M, Obuchowski
N, et al. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Lumbar Spine in
People Without Back Pain. N Engl J Med 1994; 331: 69-116.
2. Vallfors B. Acute, Subacute and
Chronic Low Back Pain: Clinical Symptoms, Absenteeism and
Working Environment. Scan J Rehab Med Suppl 1985; 11: 1-98.
3. Finding from a national study
conducted for the American Chiropractic Association. Risher P.
Americans' Perception of Practitioners and Treatments for Back
Problems. Louis Harris and Associates, Inc. New
York: August, 1994.
4.This
total represents only the more readily identifiable costs for
medical care, workers compensation payments and time lost from
work. It does not include costs associated with lost personal
income due to acquired physical limitation resulting from a
back problem and lost employer productivity due to employee
medical absence. In Project Briefs: Back Pain Patient Outcomes
Assessment Team (BOAT). In MEDTEP Update, Vol. 1 Issue 1,
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, Rockville,
MD, Summer 1994.
5.In Vallfors B, previously cited.
6.Bigos S, Bowyer O, Braen G, et al.
Acute Low Back Problems in Adults. Clinical Practice Guideline
No. 14. AHCPR Publication No. 95-0642. Rockville, MD: Agency
for Health Care Policy and Research, Public Health Service,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, December, 1994.
7.The RAND Corporation reported from its
analysis of spinal manipulation research literature that 94%
of all spinal manipulation is performed by chiropractors, 4%
by osteopaths, and the remainder by medical doctors.
8. In Risher P, previously cited.
Information provided courtesy of
the
American Chiropractic
Association (ACA)
http://www.amerchiro.org/
|
