Chiropractic Found to be Cost-Effectiove....Again!

An important 2010 study evaluated low back pain care for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee’s intermediate and large group fully insured population over a two-year period. 

The 85,000 BCBS subscribers in the insured study population had open access to MDs and DCs through self-referral, and there were no limits applied to the number of MD/DC visits allowed and no differences in co-pays. Thus, the data from this study reflect what happens when chiropractic and medical services compete on a level playing field.

The researchers, led by an actuary, compared the costs of low back pain care initiated with a doctor of chiropractic with care initiated through a medical doctor or osteopathic physician. They found that costs for the chiropractic group were 40 percent lower. Even after factoring in the severity of the conditions with which patients presented, costs when initiating care with a DC rather than an MD/DO were 20 percent lower. The researchers concluded that insurance companies that restrict access to chiropractic care for low back pain treatment may inadvertently pay more for care than they would if they removed such restrictions. According to this analysis, had all of the low back cases initiated care with a DC, this would have led to an annual cost savings of $2.3 million for BCBS of Tennessee.

Liliedahl RL, Finch MD, Axene DV, Goertz CM. Cost of Care for Common Back Pain Conditions Initiated With Chiropractic Doctor vs Medical Doctor/Doctor of Osteopathy as First Physician: Experience of One Tennessee-Based General Health Insurer. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. November - December 2010;33(9):640-643.

Can Your Sunscreen Give You Cancer?

Sunscreens prevent sunburns, but beyond that simple fact surprisingly little is known about the safety and efficacy of these ubiquitous creams and sprays. 

FDA’s failure to finalize its 1978 sunscreen safety standards both epitomizes and perpetuates this state of confusion. 

EWG’s review of the latest research unearthed troubling facts that might tempt you to give up on sunscreens altogether. That’s not the right answer – despite the unknowns about their efficacy, public health agencies still recommend using sunscreens, just not as your first line of defense against the sun.

There’s no consensus on whether sunscreens prevent skin cancer.

The Food and Drug Administration’s 2007 draft sunscreen safety regulations say: “FDA is not aware of data demonstrating that sunscreen use alone helps prevent skin cancer” (FDA 2007). The International Agency for Research on Cancer agrees. IARC recommends clothing, hats and shade as primary barriers to UV radiation and writes that “sunscreens should not be the first choice for skin cancer prevention and should not be used as the sole agent for protection against the sun” (IARC 2001a).

Download one of our Sunscreen papers to find out more from our weekly newsletter. Sign up to receive our newsletter at our home page, www.b2hc.com.

What’s the deal with all these Laser Back Surgery Ads on the Internet?

If you have wondered about the new technology in back pain treatment. Read this below and check out the link to the Bloomberg business article.

The “deal” is a huge advertising scheme that has created a higher profit percentage than Google.  Between 2006 and 2009, Laser Spine profited $99 million performing spinal surgeries in their clinics. That’s a lot of money! If they are that successful financially, wouldn’t you think their surgeries are incredibly successful, restoring their patient to full, active lives? Read the Bloomberg Business article to find out…

For decades there have been studies published warning that the outcomes with back surgery are not as good as advertised. This appears to be another new technology that will cause more harm than good. Sometimes there is no "quick fix" to your back pain. Take a look at this spine-health post on FBBS (Failed back surgery syndrome).