Jan 20

Chiropractic Benefits And Coverage

Federally directed insurance coverage for chiropractic care tends to limit chiropractic despite the benefits chiropractic provides recipients. For example, chiropractic care for Medicare recipients seeing chiropractors for back pain is only covered for spinal manipulation despite no evidence showing an increase in serious risks associated with chiropractic care of neck or back pain for these Medicare patients. As a matter of fact, research has shown that chiropractic care sped up recovery, reduced the number of back surgeries in a year, decreased opioid-linked disability, diminished the number of falls and traumatic injuries, slowed the decline in activities of daily living and disability over time, and reduced costs and medical doctor visits for low back pain. (1) Another example is that despite new professional and insurance guidelines for clinical decision-making regarding back pain care, the Federal Employees Compensation Act still requires x-rays for chiropractic care to be reimbursed for care. (2) In place of imaging today, other less costly and more effective ways are research-documented to determine if spinal manipulation is appropriate. Researchers are so sophisticated as to be able to predict which low back pain patients will respond to spinal manipulation as a nonpharmacologic intervention recommended in clinical care guidelines today and by how much depending on factors like medication and exercise expectation, pain frequency, height, gender, extension ability, response to STarT Back Tool questionnaire. (3) The benefits of chiropractic care continue to grow and to be documented, just waiting to be as well recognized by insurers as they are now by our chiropractic patients! 

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Clint Dickason on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes his use of the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management to help a patient struggling with sciatic leg pain find relief. 

TIP OF THE MONTH:Glucosamine and Chondroitin: Not Just for The Disc Anymore!

Taking glucosamine/chondroitin supplements is more and more reported positive. A new paper states that taking this combo of glucosamine and chondroitin reduced overall risk of early death about as effectively as regular exercise. (The authors do not recommend not exercising though!) (4) Another study of 77,510 supplement users found that people who took glucosamine (alone or with chondroitin) were found to have a significantly lower risk of death. Further, current users had a significantly lower risk of death from cancer. (5) Even more specifically, regular use of glucosamine was linked to a significantly lower risk of total cardiovascular disease issues and death, coronary heart disease and stroke. (6) We have certainly recognized the beneficial use of glucosamine and chondroitin to care for degenerated discs related to back pain and neck pain. These other benefits just raise the bar for the benefit of glucosamine and chondroitin. Are you taking yours?

Thank you for welcoming our chiropractic care into your life. 
See you at your next visit!
References for Healthy News – JANUARY 2021