I just finished reading a recent article in a publication and it discussed surgery rates in the US. I was shocked when I read that in 2006, doctors performed around 60 million surgical procedures, one for every 5 Americans. No other country does nearly as many operations on its citizens.
I find it intriguing that despite all these procedures and the abundance of health care we have, we still lag behind the world in terms of our citizens' health. According to the World Health Organization, in 2000, we ranked #1 in cost, #72 in population health, #37 in health care delivery.
Out of all the problems that contribute to our poor health, back pain is listed as the #8 cause, and accounts for over 40 billion dollars annually in treatment alone. This isn't even considering that associated costs. This article looked at the various medical treatments and provided resources that indicate that chiropractic treatment of back pain tends to be more clinically effective and cost effective.
Pran Manga, PhD, MPhil, health economist "There is an overwhelming body of evidence indicating that chiropractic management of low back pain is more cost effective than medical management".
Anthony Rosner, PhD, testified before the Institute of Medicine "Today, we can argue that chiropractic care, at least for back pain, appears to have vaulted from last to first place as a treatment option.
So, as time as passed, I think the chiropractic 'body of work' has turned the traditional model for treatment upside down. As past prejudices and archaic ways of thinking have gone by the wayside, the benefits of chiropractic manipulation have grown in popularity due to results. This is not to say medicine is marginalized or surgery is the root of all evil, for that is entirely untrue. I am simply saying this: chiropractic manipulation can no longer be an afterthought for back pain, it should be the first thought.