The Cost of Neck & Back Pain

Back and neck problems are the most common pain in the United States. In 2002 26 percent of respondents reported low back pain and 14 percent reported neck pain in the previous three months. The proportion of people with impaired function due to back and neck problems increased drastically from 1997 to 2005, even after considering the aging factor.

The medical cost for treating back and neck problems have jumped faster than general medical expenditures during the past decade, but the increase apparently has not resulted in a health status that matches the magnitude of the increased cost. The cost for treatments of back and neck problems in the United States reached $86 billion in 2005, a 65 percent increase from 1997 after adjusting for inflation. When inflation was counted, medical expenditures for Americans with back and or neck problems rose about 65% from 1997 to 2005.

In 2005 the average medical expenditure among those with spine or back and neck problems was $6,096! The data suggests that spine problems are expensive, due both to large numbers of affected persons and to high costs per person. Unfortunately, improvements in health outcomes from drug or surgical therapies were not correspondent with the costs.

As a result, more patients are turning to alternative treatments for both acute and chronic neck, back and spinal pain. Many patients find tremendous pain relief using acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapies. They, often, return to normal daily life, without drugs and surgery, much quicker than they would have with traditional therapies.

Meridian Harmonics