Access to Chiropractic Care and the Cost of Spine Conditions Among Older Adults
Access to Chiropractic Care and the Cost of Spine Conditions Among Older Adults
SOURCE: American J Managed Care 2019 (Aug); 25 (8): e230–e236
Matthew A. Davis, PhD, DC, MPH et. al.
Matthew A. Davis, PhD, DC, MPH
University of Michigan,
400 N Ingalls St, Room 4347,
Ann Arbor, MI 48109.
Objectives: Chiropractic care is a service that operates outside of the conventional medical system and is reimbursed by Medicare. Our objective was to examine the extent to which accessibility of chiropractic care affects spending on medical spine care among Medicare beneficiaries.
Study Design: Retrospective cohort study that used beneficiary relocation as a quasi-experiment.
Methods: We used a combination of national data on provider location and Medicare claims to perform a quasi-experimental study to examine the effect of chiropractic care accessibility on healthcare spending. We identified 84,679 older adults enrolled in Medicare with a spine condition who relocated once between 2010 and 2014. For each year, we measured accessibility using the variable-distance enhanced 2-step floating catchment area method. Using data for the years before and after relocation, we estimated the effect of moving to an area of lower or higher chiropractic accessibility on spine-related spending adjusted for access to medical physicians.
Results: There are approximately 45,000 active chiropractors in the United States, and local accessibility varies considerably. A negative dose–response relationship was observed for spine-related spending on medical evaluation and management as well as diagnostic imaging and testing (mean differences, $20 and $40, respectively, among those exposed to increasingly higher chiropractic accessibility; P < .05 for both). Associations with other types of spine-related spending were not significant.
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The Global Spine Care Initiative: Applying Evidence-based Guidelines on the Non-invasive Management of Back and Neck Pain to Low- and Middle-income Communities
The Global Spine Care Initiative: Applying Evidence-based Guidelines on the Non-invasive Management of Back and Neck Pain to Low- and Middle-income Communities
SOURCE: European Spine Journal 2018 (Sep); 27 (Suppl 6): 851–860
Roger Chou, Pierre Côté, Kristi Randhawa, Paola Torres, Hainan Yu, Margareta Nordin, Eric L. Hurwitz, Scott Haldeman9, Christine Cedraschi
Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology,
Oregon Health and Science University,
Portland, OR, USA.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this review was to develop recommendations for the management of spinal disorders in low-income communities, with a focus on non-invasive pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies for non-specific low back and neck pain.
METHODS: We synthesized two evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the management of low back and neck pain. Our recommendations considered benefits, harms, quality of evidence, and costs, with attention to feasibility in medically underserved areas and low- and middle-income countries.
RESULTS: Clinicians should provide education and reassurance, advise patients to remain active, and provide information about self-care options. For acute low back and neck pain without serious pathology, primary conservative treatment options are exercise, manual therapy, superficial heat, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). For patients with chronic low back and neck pain without serious pathology, primary treatment options are exercise, yoga, cognitive behavioral therapies, acupuncture, biofeedback, progressive relaxation, massage, manual therapy, interdisciplinary rehabilitation, NSAIDs, acetaminophen, and antidepressants. For patients with spinal pain with radiculopathy, clinicians may consider exercise, spinal manipulation, or NSAIDs; use of other interventions requires extrapolation from evidence regarding effectiveness for non-radicular spinal pain. Clinicians should not offer treatments that are not effective, including benzodiazepines, botulinum toxin injection, systemic corticosteroids, cervical collar, electrical muscle stimulation, short-wave diathermy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and traction.
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Maternal Report of Outcomes of Chiropractic Care for Infants
Maternal Report of Outcomes of Chiropractic Care for Infants
SOURCE: J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2019 (Mar; 42 (3): 167–176
Joyce E. Miller, DC, PhD, Heather A. Hanson, DC, MSc, Mandy Hiew, BA, Derek S. Lo Tiap Kwong, BA, Zicheng Mok, BA, Yun-Han Tee, BA
Outpatient Teaching Clinic,
AECC University College,
Bournemouth, Dorset, UK.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the report by mothers of their infants’ condition before and after a trial of care provided by registered chiropractic clinicians in addition to ratings of satisfaction, cost of care, and reports of any adverse events or side effects. A second purpose was to report the demographic profile of infants who presented for care to 16 chiropractic clinics in the United Kingdom.
METHODS: This observational study prospectively collected reports by mothers of their infants’ demographic profiles and outcomes across several domains of infant behavior and their own mental state using the United Kingdom Infant Questionnaire. Participating registered chiropractors were recruited through the Royal College of Chiropractors annual meeting in January 2016, and 15 clinics and the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic University College teaching clinic volunteered to participate.
RESULTS: In all, 2001 mothers completed intake questionnaires and 1092 completed follow-up forms. Statistically significant (P < .05) improvements were reported across all aspects of infant behavior studied, including feeding problems, sleep issues, excessive crying, problems with supine sleep position, infant pain, restricted cervical range of motion, and time performing prone positioning. Maternal ratings of depression, anxiety, and satisfaction with motherhood also demonstrated statistically significant improvement (P < .05). In total, 82% (n = 797) reported definite improvement of their infants on a global impression of change scale. As well, 95% (n = 475) reported feeling that the care was cost-effective, and 90.9% (n = 712) rated their satisfaction 8 or higher on an 11–point scale. Minor self-limiting side effects were reported (5.8%, n = 42/727) but no adverse events.
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Observed Patterns of Cervical Radiculopathy
Observed Patterns of Cervical Radiculopathy: How Often Do They Differ From a Standard, “Netter Diagram” Distribution?
SOURCE: Spine J. 2019 (Jul); 19 (7): 1137–1142
Steven J. McAnany MD , John M. Rhee MD , Evan O. Baird MD , Weilong Shi MD , Jeffrey Konopka MD , Thomas M. Neustein MD , Rafael Arceo MD
Department of Orthopedic Surgery,
Hospital for Special Surgery,
535 East 70th St,
New York, NY 10021, USA.
BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Traditionally, cervical radiculopathy is thought to present with symptoms and signs in a standard, textbook, reproducible pattern as seen in a “Netter diagram.” To date, no study has directly examined cervical radicular patterns attributable to single level pathology in patients undergoing ACDF.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine cervical radiculopathy patterns in a surgical population and determine how often patients present with the standard textbook (ie, Netter diagram) versus nonstandard patterns.
STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: A retrospective study.
PATIENT SAMPLE: Patients who had single-level radiculopathy with at least 75% improvement of preoperative symptoms following ACDF were included.
OUTCOME MEASURES: Epidemiologic variables were collected including age, sex, weight, body mass index, laterality of symptoms, duration of symptoms prior to operative intervention, and the presence of diabetes mellitus. The observed pattern of radiculopathy at presentation, including associated neck, shoulder, upper arm, forearm, and hand pain and/or numbness, was determined from chart review and patient-derived pain diagrams.
METHODS: We identified all patients with single level cervical radiculopathy operated on between March 2011 and March 2016 by six surgeons. The observed pattern of radiculopathy was compared to a standard textbook pattern of radiculopathy that strictly adheres to a dermatomal map Fisher exact test was used to analyze categorical data and Student t test was used for continuous variables. A one-way ANOVA was used to determine differences in the observed versus expected radicular pattern. A logistic regression model assessed the effect of demographic variables on presentation with a nonstandard radicular pattern.
RESULTS: Overall, 239 cervical levels were identified. The observed pattern of pain and numbness followed the standard pattern in only 54% (129 of 239; p=.35). When a nonstandard radicular pattern was present, it differed by 1.68 dermatomal levels from the standard (p< .0001). Neck pain on the radiculopathy side was the most prevalent symptom; it was found in 81% (193 of 239) of patients and did not differ by cervical level (p=.72). In a logistic regression model, none of the demographic variables of interest were found to significantly impact the likelihood of presenting with a nonstandard radicular pattern.
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Our Blog is Just a Tool. Learn How To Use It Now.
Our Blog is Just a Tool.
Learn How To Use It Now.
SOURCE: A Chiro.Org Editorrial
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Leadership and Capacity Building in International Chiropractic Research
Leadership and Capacity Building in International Chiropractic Research: Introducing the Chiropractic Academy for Research Leadership (CARL)
SOURCE: Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2018 (Feb 6); 26: 5
Jon Adams, Greg Kawchuk, Alexander Breen, Diana De Carvalho, Andreas Eklund, Matthew Fernandez, Martha Funabashi, Michelle M. Holmes, Melker S. Johansson, Katie de Luca, Craig Moore, Isabelle Pagé, Katherine A. Pohlman, Michael S. Swain, Arnold Y. L. Wong, and Jan Hartvigsen
Faculty of Health,
University of Technology Sydney,
Sydney, Australia.
In an evidence-based health care environment, healthcare professions require a sustainable research culture to remain relevant. At present however, there is not a mature research culture across the chiropractic profession largely due to deficiencies in research capacity and leadership, which may be caused by a lack of chiropractic teaching programs in major universities. As a response to this challenge the Chiropractic Academy for Research Leadership, CARL, was created with the aim of develop a global network of successful early-career chiropractic researchers under the mentorship of three successful senior academics from Australia, Canada, and Denmark. The program centres upon an annual week-long program residential that rotates continental locations over the first three-year cycle and between residentials the CARL fellows work on self-initiated research and leadership initiatives.
Through a competivite application process, the first cohort was selected and consists of 13 early career researchers from five professions in seven countries who represent diverse areas of interests of high relevance for chiropractic. The first residential was held in Odense, Denmark, with the second being planned in April 2018 in Edmonton, Canada, and the final residential to be held in Sydney, Australia in 2019.
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