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In the world of healthcare, we’re always looking for approaches that deliver the best patient outcomes while minimizing risks and costs. That’s why we’re excited to share groundbreaking new research that confirms what we’ve observed in our practice for years: starting with chiropractic care for neck pain leads to dramatically better outcomes.
A new study published in the prestigious European Spine Journal examined treatment patterns among Medicare beneficiaries with neck pain. The researchers, led by Anderson and colleagues, tracked what happened to patients based on their initial treatment choice.
The results were remarkable:
Patients who received spinal manipulative therapy (chiropractic care) as their first treatment experienced 64% lower rates of care escalation compared to those who started with standard primary care. Care escalation includes more invasive procedures like injections, surgeries, and hospitalizations.
Even more impressive, the chiropractic patients showed a 77.8% reduction in hospitalizations and a stunning 93.3% decrease in surgical procedures. They also had lower medication costs across all categories.
In contrast, patients who received primary care with prescription pain medications within the first week had 8% higher rates of care escalation than those who received primary care without medications.
If you’re experiencing neck pain, these findings suggest that your initial treatment choice could dramatically affect your health journey. Starting with chiropractic care significantly reduces your likelihood of needing more invasive, riskier, and costlier interventions down the road.
At Libertyville Chiropractic, Dr. Steve Segal provides evidence-based spinal manipulative therapy along with comprehensive conservative care for neck pain. Our approach aligns perfectly with what this research shows leads to optimal outcomes.
This research is part of a growing body of evidence supporting non-pharmaceutical, conservative approaches as first-line treatments for spinal pain. It challenges the traditional care pathway that often starts with medication and progresses to increasingly invasive interventions.
For Medicare beneficiaries and patients of all ages, these findings suggest that the conventional treatment pathway may need reconsideration. Starting with chiropractic care could not only improve individual outcomes but also reduce overall healthcare costs and utilization.
If you’re dealing with neck pain, don’t wait until you need more aggressive interventions. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Segal today to discuss how evidence-based chiropractic care might help you avoid the escalation cycle altogether.
Call or Text Dr. Segal’s phone at 847-778-3627to schedule your appointment.
You can read the original research paper here: Patterns of initial treatment and subsequent care escalation among medicare beneficiaries with neck pain: a retrospective cohort study