The USA is about to pass legislation to reform its healthcare system. Leading US health ecconomists from Mercer Health and Benefits and Harvard University report on chiropractic management of back pain. They find that:

1. Chiropractic care is more effective than other modalities for treating low back pain.
2. When considering cost effectiveness chiropractic care is highly cost effective and represents good value in comparison to medical physician care for the same condition.
3. Almost half of US patients with persistent back pain seek chiropractic care.
4. Chiropractic care for the treatment of low-back and neck pain is likely to achieve equal or better health outcomes at a cost that compares favourably to most therapies that are used routinely in US health plans.
5. A combination of chiropractic care and physiotherapy led exercise is also much more cost effecttive that medical physician led care.

Further evidence that points towards the need to integrate chiropractic care into the mainstream for the management of back and neck pain. Lets hope that US health reforms push the agenda of cost effective care and encourage health providers to take notice of the facts about how cost effective chiropractic treatment is.

Mark Kennedy BSc.( Chiropractic) DC