You’ve heard it before. Maybe from your dad. Maybe from your neighbor or coworker. Maybe you’ve even thought it yourself before (or still sometimes do).
“The problem with chiropractic is that when you start seeing a chiropractor, you have to go forever. You’re stuck doing it all the time, for the rest of your life.”
And who would be sitting there, considering going to a chiropractor for the first time, and think “Oh boy! I can’t wait to sign up to do something for the rest of my life!” Very few people! It would be like going on a first date with someone and suddenly they’re talking to you about marriage. And not just as a general concept, but talking about you marrying THEM. That would be totally weird and uncomfortable, right?
Not only would that be weird and uncomfortable, just like jumping the gun on a long-term relationship, but there’s also always an undercurrent of, “See, that’s how they get ya.”
Not only is chiropractic a flawed concept (because if it worked so well you wouldn’t have to/want to do it all the time, right?), but the chiropractic profession itself comes to be seen as this sort of sleazy, salesy profession, just trying to get you addicted to their flawed system of care.
In some ways it’s interesting, when you think about it, that chiropractic used as a form of wellness care (aka something done regularly over the long term) is viewed as indicating some sort of inherent flaw in chiropractic itself.
Consider for a moment, exercise. Working out at a gym. Is exercise a flawed model because you can’t just workout one time, or for one week, or one month, and be set for the rest of your life? That would be ridiculous.
In fact, it is known that if you’re not working out AT LEAST 3 times per week, you probably won’t get the results you want, let alone benefit the most from the way exercise impacts your physiology, protecting you from numerous diseases and extending your life expectancy. And that’s for the rest of your life.
So it’s not the case that we Americans expect EVERYTHING to “work” permanently after a short term usage. Clearly we know that exercise must be done routinely forever. Same with yoga. And also eating healthy. And reading books regularly to strengthen our intellect. These are just a few things that spring to mind!
The problem is that most of the public thinks of chiropractic as existing primarily to make something bad go away, ie pain. In that model, you “fix” what’s causing the pain, and the pain only comes back if the fix didn’t do what it was supposed to do.
I hope this doesn’t come as a shock, but there is no “fix” that permanently undoes all the stress on the nervous system that you’ve ever encountered in your entire life (staring at screens, sitting at a desk, not getting enough exercise over periods of time, financial hardship, breakups, thoughts of lack, poor diet over periods of time, car accidents, loss of a loved one, running marathons, etc, etc, etc) and the ability of any of these to affect you ever again. Most people who come to New Day for the first time need a great deal of nourishing care just to help make up for a lifetime of fight or flight dominance in their bodies!
Even if there was something that completely wipes the slate clean, so to speak, you’d have to go live in a bubble afterward for the rest of your life to prevent your brain and nervous system from ever going into a stress-based reactive program again. Most likely not possible, or desirable!
Every time you leave New Day after getting your spine adjusted, you are most likely getting into a car and/or facing some kinds of situations, body positions, substances, or thoughts, that can create a challenge for optimal brain-body functioning. It’s part of life on earth in the 21st century. When you feel pain or problems come up, this is not necessarily evidence that you are doing a bad job or that the care isn’t working.
Regular, ongoing chiropractic care mitigates the effects of these ongoing challenges and helps you be better able to handle the challenges ahead. Network Care is even more amazing, because through this system Donny Epstein created a way for you to not only “maintain” over time, but to actually be able to continue to grow, evolve, and thrive through the increased functioning this care brings and you continue to upgrade how you relate to life in this process.
So, is it worth it? Even if we completely set aside the ongoing possibility for transformation and growth offered by Network Care and only focused on the maintenance aspect of care, the money you pay for consistent chiropractic care would be worth it.
A recent research study done on chiropractic patients with low back pain in Sweden showed that those consisting wellness or “maintenance” care over time reported 19.3 fewer days of lower back pain over the course of the next year. Not only is that equivalent to a nearly 3-week long vacation, but when you consider all the benefits, financially and otherwise, of the likely reduction in use of pain medication and desire for surgeries over that time, chiropractic is not only a huge health saver but a huge money saver.
Below I will summarize the existing research on the cost effectiveness of chiropractic care. Most of these underline the simple, money saving benefits of receiving chiropractic care on a regular basis over time, which only hints at the larger picture of who you get to be in your life as a result of increased nervous system functioning. Make sure to come back and look at this any time you find yourself wondering if the care you’ve been committing to is worth it!
Do you feel like you’ve ever had to overcome the preconception that you’ll be “stuck” doing chiropractic forever, or that the need for continued care means it’s not working? How has continuing to commit to the health of your spine and nervous system helped you? Please share below!!
Summary of Cost Effectiveness Research
On Chiropractic Cost Effectiveness from Dr. Katie of New Day
As healthcare costs rise, many people are searching for the best value for their money
Did you know?
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- The average family of four’s healthcare costs are up 4.7%, or $1,155 from 2015 to 2016, according to independent actuarial and healthcare consulting firm Milliman Inc. (See Milliman Medical Index, or MMI). Also notable is that the cost for healthcare for the typical American family of four has more than tripled since its value of $8,414 in 2001.
- In studies comparing health plans with chiropractic benefits to those without them, overall care expenditures are lower for those with chiropractic benefits.
- Chiropractic patients tend to have substantially lower total healthcare costs.
- Regular chiropractic care reduces the use of both physician and hospital care.
Maximizing your health so you’re not dependent on drugs, surgeries, and other outside-in interventions is a key to your wellbeing, as well as your financial future!
Cited studies on the cost effectiveness of chiropractic care:
- A 1992 review of data from over 2,000,000 users of chiropractic care in the U.S., reported inthe Journal of American Health Policy, stated that, “chiropractic users tend to have substantially lower total healthcare costs,” and “chiropractic care reduces the use of both physician and hospital care.”
- Chiropractors who serve as primary care providers (PCPs) save client’s money and havehigh patient satisfaction: A study in the May 2007 issue of theJournal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics tracked data from a unique Independent Physicians Association (IPA) where chiropractors serve as first-contact, primary care physicians. The report analyzes data from 2003-2005 and found that clients visiting chiropractors had 60% fewer hospitalizations, 62% fewer surgeries and used 85% fewer pharmaceuticals than HMO clients who received traditional medical care. In addition, clients reported on the quality of care they received through the use of annual patient satisfaction surveys. During the 3 years of data, clients demonstrated a high degree of satisfaction with their care (96%, 94% and 91%, respectively).
- A 2012 systematic review found spinal manipulation was cost-effective for neck and back pain, usedeither alone or combined with other therapies. A prospective cohort study of Washington state workers found that 1.5% of workers who saw a chiropractor first for work-related back pain review later had surgery, compared to 42.7% of those who first saw a surgeon.
- A case study in 2006 (cited research by Dr. Yannick Pauli, D.C.) reported substantiated improvementsIn the quality of life experienced by a patient undergoing subluxation-centered chiropractic care, including Network Spinal Analysis – over a period of 6 months time. Notes improvements included (but were not limited to); decrease in palpable muscle tension, improved surface EMG (scans), spontaneous smoking cessation, the start of regular exercise, and desire to make better nutritional choices. Source: Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, October 11, 2006; 1-15.
- A health insurance plan with a chiropractic benefit had lower costs than a plan without it. Astudy reported in the American Medical Association’s Journalfound health plans that included a chiropractic benefit had 31 percent fewer back surgeries and 15 percent lower per capita hospital costs. The study compared 700,000 health plan members with chiropractic benefits to 1 million members without chiropractic benefits in California, and showed that overall healthcare expenditures were lower in the group with chiropractic coverage. Source: Archives of Internal Medicine, October 2004.
- A landmark study in 2000 was conducted by Dr. Ron Rupert and his team at Parker College. Thestudy surveyed 311 chiropractic patients, aged 65 years and older, who had received chiropractic care for 5 years or longer. Despite similar health status, chiropractic patients receiving “maintenance or wellness care” for five years or longer, when compared with US citizens of the same age, spent only 31% of the national average for health care services. The chiropractic patients also experienced 50% fewer medical provider visits than their comparable peers. Source: Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 2000.
- A 2014 randomized controlled trial examined “costs and benefits of different doses of spinalmanipulative therapy (SMT) in patients with chronic low back pain (LBP).” It concluded that “a dose of 12 SMT sessions yielded a modest benefit in pain-free and disability-free days. Care of chronic LBP with SMT did not increase the costs of treatment plus lost productivity.”
- A 2011 systematic review found that guideline-endorsed acupuncture, cognitive behavioral therapy,exercise, interdisciplinary rehabilitation, and spinal manipulation were all cost-effective for patients with sub-acute or chronic LBP (lower back pain). There was insufficient evidence for the cost-effectiveness of spinal manipulation for acute LBP (lower back pain).
- Oakland University’s Stano Cost Comparison Study of 395,641 patients with one or more of493 neuro-musculoskeletal conditions was undertaken to compare the health care costs of patients who have received chiropractic treatment to those treated solely by medical or osteopathic physicians. The results showed that patients receiving chiropractic care experienced significantly lower health care costs. Chiropractic patients saved over $1000 per patient over the two-year study.
- Immediate access to chiropractic care after an injury results in the most effective outcome, medically and financially. A peer-reviewed article in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, January 2004, stated: “. . . We found that patients who were seen by chiropractors during the initial episode of care were less likely to have a surgery, and had a shorter average duration of the initial episode.”
