Is it less expensive to have Manual therapy for back pain vs Staying active on your own?

Have you ever heard that your back pain will get better on it’s own? Maybe it will and maybe it won’t. Some people just don’t want to go to the doctor. Others don’t go because they are trying to save money. A study was published in May 2022, comparing the cost of manual therapy vs a doctor’s advice.

The study was comprised of 409 people with nonspecific back and/or neck pain. One group of patients could receive a maximum of 6 manual therapy sessions with a 6-week period. The other group received information on 2 occasions from a physician within a 3-week period. This included evidence-based advice on how to stay active and cope with the pain.

Direct and indirect costs were included in the study. For example, cost of treatment but also lost workdays were considered. They followed these patients for 1 year.

Conclusions: The researchers found the patients who received manual therapy had better outcomes at a lower cost compared with advice to stay active.

Next time you experience back pain, consider chiropractic care. You may save both pain and money.

Research
Aboagye E, Lilje S, Bengtsson C, Peterson A, Persson U, Skillgate E. Manual therapy versus
advice to stay active for nonspecific back and/or neck pain: a cost‐effectiveness analysis.
Chiropr Man Therap. 2022 May 16;30(1):27. doi: 10.1186/s12998‐022‐00431‐7. PMID:
35578230; PMCID: PMC9109382.