Research
The outcome of a study evaluating the effect of non-surgical intervention on symptoms of spine patients with herniated and degenerative disc disease is presented. This clinical outcomes study was performed to evaluate the effect of spinal decompression on symptoms and physical findings of patients with herniated and degenerative disc disease. Results showed that a large percentage of the 219 patients who completed the therapy reported immediate resolution of symptoms, while a similarly significant proportion remained pain-free 90 days post-treatment. Physical examination findings showed improvement in 92% of the 219 patients, and remained intact in 89% of these patients 90 days after treatment. This study shows that disc disease, the most common cause of back pain, which costs the American health care system more than $50 billion annually can be cost effectively treated using spinal decompression. The cost for successful non-surgical therapy is less than a tenth of that for surgery. These results show that biotechnological advances of spinal decompression reveal promising results for the future of effective management of patients with disc herniation and degenerative disc diseases. Long-term outcome studies are needed to determine if non-surgical treatment prevents later surgery, or merely delays it.
Spinal Decompression
The Outcome of a Study
By Thomas A. Gionis, MD, JD, MBA, MHA, FICS, FRCS, and Eric Groteke, DC, CCIC
The Manga Report: Chiropractic was the treatment of choice for low back pain, according to the Manga Report, a 1993 study by the Ontario Ministry of Health in Canada that recommended all low back pain patients be referred to chiropractors.
The Rand Corp Study: Spinal manipulation was an effective treatment for low back disorders according to a 1991 report by the RAND Corp., done by a panel of independent experts who surveyed existing studies.
British Medical Journal: Chiropractic medicine was significantly superior to traditional medical care, as measured by pain relieved, time off from work and money spent on treatment, British researchers discovered after a 10 year study that appeared in the June 1990 British Medical Journal.
The Florida Study: Shorter Disability and Lower Related Costs: Temporary total disability for chiropractic patients was found to be 51.3 percent shorter than for patients receiving standard medical care. The direct costs of chiropractic physician services were an average of 58.8 percent lower than the corresponding cost for medical doctors. The estimated average total cost of care was 95.3 percent higher for medical patients than for chiropractic patients.
The Utah Study: Chiropractic is Cost Effective: Compensation costs for work time lost were $68.38 for patients who received chiropractic care, compared to $668.39 for patients who received standard, non-surgical medical treatment. The number of work days lost under medical care was nearly 10 times higher with 20.7 days lost under medical care and only 2.4 days lost under chiropractic care.
The Meade Study: Chiropractic Offers Long-Term Benefits: This study concluded, "For patients with low-back pain in whom manipulation is not contraindicated, chiropractic almost certainly confers worthwhile, long-term benefit in comparison to hospital outpatient management."
Koes' Clinical Trial: The Positive Results if Chiropractic are Lasting: Manipulative therapy (chiropractic) and physiotherapy were compared as treatments for persistent back and neck complaints. After 12 months, the manipulative therapy group showed greater improvement in the primary complaint with fewer visits.
The New Zealand Report: This research studied cost effectiveness, chiropractic education and training, safety issues and patient satisfaction. This 377 page document concluded that including chiropractic would have a positive influence on the health of the country.
The United States Agency for Health Care Policy Research (AHCPR) Study: Published in 1994, this five year study concluded that relief can be accomplished most safely with nonprescription medication and/or spinal manipulation.
Chiropractic Research