How effective is chiropractic vs. going to my primary doctor?

I'm always interested when I run across articles that talk about the cost-effectiveness of chiropractic care. While the cost of all healthcare (chiropractic included) continues to rise, chiropractic remains the most cost effective form of treatment for most spinal disorders (and many other conditions as well). Not only are patient outcomes and satisfaction with chiropractic consistently better than other medical treatments, the cost of care is less.

The study I happened to see is from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee. The study examined the cost of care for low back pain episodes and allowed patients to choose what type of provider to see. The following is a quote from the abstract regarding the outcomes of the study: "Paid costs for episodes of care initiated with a DC (Doctor of Chiropractic) were almost 40% less than episodes initiated with an MD (Medical Doctor). Even after risk adjusting each patient’s costs, we found that episodes of care initiated with a DC were 20% less expensive than episodes initiated with an MD." You can find the study by following this link.

Like most doctors, I despise talking about the cost of care and the question "how much will this cost!" However, cost is a reality in our healthcare environment. There has been a consistent rise in the cost of insurance and care for many years. Heck, my personal insurance premium has doubled in the last 3 years (along with the deductible doubling)! Despite the negativity associated with cost increases, I feel that chiropractors provide unique services that can change peoples' lives at a cost that is much less than our medical counterparts. My job is to show patients that their health and wellness is worth the investment in order to live more active, enjoyable lives. One of my favorite sayings is as follows...What good is adding years to your life if you don't add life to your years? I feel my job is to add life to peoples years and allow them to enjoy life to its' fullest.

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