Are you among the majority of Americans that believe we have a serious opioid epidemic?
In a 12-month period ending in February 2022 the CDC, Center for disease Control and Prevention, reported 108,334 deaths due to opioid overdose. The CDC also reports that in 2020 the reported costs of the opioid epidemic were $1.5 trillion (about $4,600 per person in the US).
The opioid epidemic seems to have changed Americans perspective about prescription painkillers. The results of the 2017 Gallup-Parmer College of Chiropractic report, reports that 78% of Americans preferring to try other, more natural ways to address their physical pain before they take pain medication. The same report also reports that more Americans believe that none drug pain management methods, such as chiropractic care were more effective than the prescription painkiller.
Neuromusculoskeletal pain continues to rank among the most common reasons Americans utilize health care services. In an article Published in the medical journal Pain and Therapy, 47% of Americans have chronic neuromusculoskeletal pain.
In the United States lower back and neck pain incurred the higher costs among 154 conditions evaluated, with an estimate $134.5 billion spent in attributed to their care. 1.2% of patients with low back pain received surgery for the condition, accounting for 30% of costs. This finding is especially concerning given that laser spine surgeries grew by 276% between 2002 and 2014
Numerous studies recognize conservative noninvasive treatment guidelines for lower back pain can reduce these costs and improve patient outcomes. The authors of the 2018 Lancet multi-paper series on this condition came to the same conclusions.
Chiropractic care is a safe and effective option that dramatically reduces costs with improved patient outcomes and with the highest satisfaction rates in the healthcare industry.
Patients deserve natural, safe, effective options to deal with their pain and to be made aware of these options. Many, however, will not benefit from chiropractic care unless their other healthcare providers recommend and refer them to a Doctor of Chiropractic. This may require community outreach and education. By spreading the word about the outcomes and satisfaction that patients can experience through chiropractic care, more Doctors of Chiropractic can become the preferred choice for the patients experiencing neuromusculoskeletal pain, which can enable them to avoid a pharmacological intervention and achieve their health and quality-of-life goals
