Backed into a corner
It seems we're spending more money on back problems, but not getting much return on our investment.
A recent report gives an estimate that there has been a 65 percent increase in spending on back treatments in less than 10 years. But the number of folks with back problems has actually increased, anyway. It adds up to $86 billion dollars wasted.
The analysis even allowed for the fact that we have a growing, aging population, but that made no difference in the dismal results.
And surgeries for back pain are not proving effective as treatment (which is why I tell my patients to steer clear of anyone trying to slice into your back).
One of the report's authors stated that these treatments, including those surgeries as well as shots and heavy-duty pain meds, have been "oversold." While he thinks that there are some patients who benefit, his finding is that the majority of treatments are being done without a solid scientific backing for doing so.
I wasn't surprised by the fact that the biggest leap in spending was for drugs. There was a staggering increase of 171 percent in that time period. Spending on narcotics, like OxyContin, jumped by an incredible 400 percent.
The underlying causes of back and neck pain pose a challenge. Researchers think it could be attributed to the increasing rates of obesity. Anyone who carries even a little extra weight around their middle knows how it can pull you out of alignment.
But the increase in back pain spending is just as likely due to the expensive treatments themselves. A surgery is an especially expensive gamble for something that may have absolutely no long-term benefit—and may cause more problems than it helps.
If your doctor recommends back surgery for your pain, ask him to come up with something with a better track record—and a lower price tag.
