“Back
surgery is one of the most overused types of surgery as well as the most common
ailment that sends patients to doctors, chiropractors, and physical therapists,”
reports Crain’s Detroit Business magazine’s article called
Health Insurers Look for Ways to Cut Costs with Back Surgery. What a way
to open an article! It goes on:
- $90 billion on low back pain alone a year
- 1.2 million spinal surgeries annually
- $60,000 to $110,000 per lumbar fusion
surgery (the fastest-growing type of surgery in the past decade)
The
back surgery failure rate, the so-called “failed back syndrome” or the more “politically
correct” term “post-surgical continued pain syndrome,” may be as high
as 50%. (1) With healthcare spending in the US over $3.5
trillion - $10,739 a person – it is no wonder that insurers look
for another way to cut costs, especially when one-third
of the money goes to hospital care of chronic illnesses. (2)
Hollstrom & Associates Inc is well-equipped and knowledgeable
in offering non-hospital-based care to help Largo back pain –
chronic and acute – patients find relief of and manage
their back pain – as well as post-surgical continued back pain - without
surgery.
LOW
BACK PAIN FACTS
Low
back pain is the leading reason of years lived with
disability around the world. Today, guidelines
for low back pain relief care discourage pain medications, steroid injections
and spine surgery and encourage physical therapy and psychological therapy.
Healthcare systems tend to struggle with
these new approaches. Why? Pharmaceutical companies’ financial
interests, old payment systems that favor medical care, outdated traditions,
and legal, personal, political, and societal beliefs of us all. These notions
are shared in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization,
believe it or not. (3) Hollstrom & Associates Inc reads this with interest.
BACK
SURGERY CHOICE
In
light of these facts, it’s not hard to believe that
some back pain sufferers will pick back surgery over
non-surgical management of their back pain. “Patients go where
insurance pays, even if it is surgery.” In one study, back pain sufferers chose to visit a primary care physician (PCP) or
physical therapist (PT) or chiropractor initially based
on their health plan type, co-payment, and deductible. Modifying
these factors to make them more valuable/less expensive/less
restrictive as to provider type could encourage
low back pain sufferers to choose non-hospital, conservative
treatment instead of back surgery. (4) Hollstrom & Associates Inc is
all for this! Less than 1% of back pain sufferers must
have back surgery. (5) Hollstrom & Associates Inc is ready to help
the rest of the Largo back pain
sufferers manage their back pain and rework their
lifestyles to be with the spine they have and deal with
its episodes of pain and relief.
RECURRENT
BACK PAIN
Largo
back pain sufferers are not alone if their back pain returns. It happens. It is controllable. It is
manageable. Some facts first: Within a year of recovery, 69% of
patients experienced another episode of back pain of some sort. Awkward
postures, long sitting times, and more than 2 prior back pain experiences spark
the risk of back pain recurrence. (6) It is ok though. Really!
Hollstrom & Associates Inc helps Largo back pain patients navigate these recurrences and deal with them so they don’t limit anyone’s enjoyment of life.
We have a treatment plan!
CONTACT
Hollstrom & Associates Inc
Listen
to Dr. Kimble Cater on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson discuss how
he helped an expectant mother with her repeated episodes of back pain. Whether you
are pregnant or not, Largo chiropractic care at
Hollstrom & Associates Inc can help you deal with repeated episodes of back
pain, too.
Schedule a Largo chiropractic appointment at
Hollstrom & Associates Inc for back pain relief. Our care is not overused! The gentle, effective, evidence-based system of
Cox®
Technic look for 50% relief within 4-6 weeks of care and often gets
70%, 80%, 90% and more for many of our patients at less cost – in
terms of finances and lifestyle – than back surgery.