The benefits of including chiropractic care in managed care systems has been demonstrated through several studies over the last 5 years.
Consistently, there have been dramatic reductions in the utilization of surgery, hospitalizations, and pharmaceuticals.
Below are some examples from several key studies.
An evidence-based report which evaluates the literature on manual therapies for various conditions was published in Chiropractic and Osteopathy by Bronfort, Haas et al. This review rates the literature and gives the reader a graphic representation of the evidence for various musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal disorders. Below is a summary of some of the key findings followed by a link to the article. The categories are listed as Inconclusive, Moderate and High for evidence.
Sarnat RL, Winterstein J, Cambron JA [1, 2]
In two publications, the researchers demonstrated substantial decreases in the utilization of certain services by patients who sought chiropractic care for a wide variety of complaints.
The first publication followed patients over a four-year period and demonstrated the following (when compared to conventional medicine):
The second of the two studies which followed the patients in the first four-year study through a total of seven years demonstrated even more dramatic results (when compared to conventional medicine):
Nelson CF, Metz RD, LaBrot T [3]
Data from another managed-care plan over a four year period demonstrated the following for patients with low back pain and those with neck pain (based on numbers per patient versus group; the more conservative of the two approaches with regard to demonstrating success):
Low Back Pain
Neck Pain
1. Sarnat, R.L. and J. Winterstein, Clinical and cost outcomes of an integrative medicine IPA. J Manipulative Physiol Ther, 2004. 27(5): p. 336-47.
2. Sarnat, R.L., J. Winterstein, and J.A. Cambron, Clinical utilization and cost outcomes from an integrative medicine independent physician association: an additional 3-year update. J Manipulative Physiol Ther, 2007. 30(4): p. 263-9.
3. Nelson, C.F., R.D. Metz, and T. LaBrot, Effects of a managed chiropractic benefit on the use of specific diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in the treatment of low back and neck pain. J Manipulative Physiol Ther, 2005. 28(8): p. 564-9.