Medicine and the Overtreatment of Back Pain
SOURCE: J Am Board Fam Med. 2009 (Jan); 22 (1): 62-68
Commentary by Dan Murphy, D.C.
I just read a fascinating article in the January edition of the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, as it documents the massive increase in costs for medical management of chronic back pain, with no comparable improvements in patient outcomes, or decreases in disability rates. Worse yet, significant increases in post-intervention complications (including death) also appear to be on the rise.
This article documents:
- a 629% increase for epidural steroid injections
- a 423% increase in expenditures for opioids for back pain
- a 307% increase in the number of lumbar magnetic resonance images
- a 231% increase in facet joint injections
- a 220% increase in spinal fusion surgery rates
- Manufacturers aggressively promote new drugs and devices for the treatment of back pain, yet there is evidence of misleading advertising, kickbacks to physicians, and major investments by surgeons in the products they are promoting.
- Prescription opioid use is steadily increasing, especially for musculoskeletal conditions. Emergency department reports of opioid overdose parallel the numbers of prescriptions. Deaths related to prescription opioids are greater than the combined total involving cocaine and heroin. Ironically, “Opioid use may paradoxically increase sensitivity to pain.”
- New and improved spinal fusion techniques and devices, such as implants, increase the risk of nerve injury, blood loss, overall complications, operative time, and repeat surgery, but do not result in improved disability or reoperation rates.
- Increases in the rates of imaging, opioid prescriptions, injections, and fusion surgery might be justified if there were substantial improvements in patient outcomes; unfortunately, they are not. In fact, statistics indicate that disability from musculoskeletal disorders is rising, not falling. “Prescribing yet more imaging, opioids, injections, and operations is not likely to improve outcomes for patients with chronic back pain.”
At the same time that medicine has ramped up costs (gobbling up the Medicare pie), a long line of studies have shown the clear superiority of chiropractic management for low back pain. Please review the most in-depth study, published in May of 2007 which compared medical and chiropractic management for LBP in a managed care group:
Clinical and cost utilization, based on 70,274 member-months, over a 7-year period, demonstrated:
- decreases of 60.2% in-hospital admissions
- 59.0% less hospital days
- 62.0% less outpatient surgeries and procedures, and
- 83% less pharmaceutical costs
when patients were seen by a chiropractor, instead of seeing a conventional medical IPA doctor.
It’s time to end the
We need to get this out to the masses, you can’t argue when you see numbers like that. Too bad chiropractors don’t have a better PR machine.
We do, Scott…and it’s right here!
But it only works if you share what you see here.
The general public does not know these things. All we can do is educate educate and educate. I would like to add some of these facts to my website.
this article again reveals how difficult/challenging the neuromusculoskeletal system is to treat/rehab. there’s no one answer/ “silver bullet”. but having said that, conservative care should be the first choice option in most cases of NMS conditions. this is why i feel it’s important to be heard. the chiropractic profession should become a more collective force/presence. part of our strategy should be presenting the facts and not smear other practitioners. COST is and always will be a primary issue. that’s our strong point. that’s why the physical therapists are in my opinion are becoming dominate players in the physical medicine arena. they are replicating our model. we need to “fight” as professionals. smearing the other practitioners is a trap. they will use it against you. be heard but be heard with facts.
Hi Karl
Do you consider this posting a smear? I hope not. The Cost-Effectiveness of Chiropractic page contains many of these studies.
The people who need to see these studies are Insurance Companies. If they realize how much they can save, they will do their part to preferentially direct patients towards us. Here’s how that could work:
Several years ago I called to verify insurance coverage for a new patient.
The adjuster rattled on that the coverage was 300 deductable and 75% copay for medical services.
I said, that’s nice, but I’m a chiropractor.
She said “OH! Well for chiropractic the deductable is only 200, and we pay 85%!”
I believe this is just the tip of the iceberg. The beginning of a tusanami of change.
hey frank…….no i didn’t think the article was a smear at all. i probably wasn’t clear. i just would like to see more chiropractors use info like this without becoming over the top/evil like….. smearing other practitioners. reason is, first i believe it’s the wrong approach; secondly and maybe even more importantly the blowback if you will can be bad news. keep up the good work it’s very much appreciated. i hope i’m being alittle clearer.
Great article. If permissible, I’d like to use the information for a hand out for my patients.
Hi Kevin
We’re happy for doctors to utilize our materials for patient education. We would appreciate you footnoting us as your source. Have a great weekend!
It seems like everyone who has LBP has tried injections and heavy meds by the time they get to me?
Some of those percentage increases are frightening numbers. Thanks for getting the word out!
Dr Doug
Chiropractic Books
Dr. Frank,
Thank you. And I would be more than happy to include the footnote!
Have a terrific weekend!
Kevin
I am all about informed choice and the least invasive way first. It is very sad when I receive a new patient who has gone the route of pills, surgery, and more pills. Information like this is great to be able to educate people before they make a choice. Thanks Frank.
Dr. Garber brings up a very good point. It’s better that we are able to get out into the public and educate them about their treatment options (a TRUE informed consent). It’s not smear if all you’re doing is presenting the truth.
I am not an advocate of smear. I think long term all it does is confuse the public. With the internet and sites like this the public is now more educated then ever. They are NOT stupid and are starting to see the truth. All we need to do is show them data, statistics, and not have to put down or bash other systems.
Oh, and thanks Dr. Dan Murphy for your time and research. Thanks again Frank for making this information available to learn and share.