August 2022 Health Newsletter

It's no secret that the cost of living has gone up astronomically. In March 2022, inflation climbed to 8.5% in the United States, which is the highest inflation jump since 1981.¹ Regardless of the cost of living, we all still need to take care of our health. The good news is that decades of research show that turning to chiropractic care can help keep the cost of medical care down.

Save Money On Back Pain Treatment

One of the best ways to save money is to go to the right doctor for treatment. Chiropractors are specifically trained to deal with back pain, neck pain and countless other soft tissue ailments. Doctors of chiropractic have a deep level of training and knowledge in spinal and other soft tissue ailments and offer a variety of safe and effective treatments. And no, you don't have to go to a primary care doctor for a referral. Chiropractors are primary care providers that can diagnose the root cause of your pain and treat you all in one place, making back pain relief fast and affordable.  Numerous studies show that seeking chiropractic care can reduce the cost of back pain treatments.^2,3 These savings are also shown to be both short term and long term.⁴

Save Money On Hospital Visits, Surgeries and Prescriptions

In addition to back pain, chiropractic can save you on maintenance care. A seven-year study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics concluded that chiropractic care played a significant role in saving chiropractic patients money on hospital bills, surgery and even prescriptions. Patients went to the hospital less and those who ended up getting admitted spent less time there, underwent fewer surgeries and took significantly fewer pharmaceutical prescriptions.⁶

Save Money Even if You're On Medicare*

Ailments come with old age, and old age is associated with a mountain of medical expenses, including for back pain. Chiropractic care once again shows that it can help keep the cost of treatment down for Medicare patients by reducing and sometimes eliminating the need for surgery, needed treatment for shorter periods, and chiropractic treatments themselves were often at a lower price point than primary care.⁵

*Please note: while most chiropractors accept Medicare patients, those who do not typically have affordable cash options.

Save On Medical Costs With Chiropractic Care

Chiropractors are primary care providers for neuromuscular conditions, including back pain. Ask your favorite chiropractor what s/he can do for you to minimize/eliminate the need for prescriptions and surgery, and what you can do to reduce and/or eliminate your back pain. It can save you time and a lot of money.

References

1. https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2022/consumer-prices-up-8-5-percent-for-year-ended-march-2022.htm
   
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17509435/
   
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4834378/
   
4. https://www.acatoday.org/research/what-research-shows/
   
5. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2680417
   
6. https://www.jmptonline.org/article/S0161-4754%2807%2900076-0/fulltext
   

According to a recent review of research by The BMJ, the tie between obesity and 11 different types of cancers has been strengthened. According to Reuters, the review looked at a larger group of hundreds of studies published in the past that specifically examined the relationship between obesity and 36 types of cancers. Scholars looked for signs that the already-established link between cancer and obesity had been exaggerated, and in the process found a stronger correlation between obesity and 11 specific cancers. In particular, cancers of the organs in the digestive tract as well as women’s reproductive organs were found to have the strongest links to obesity. These include kidney, colon, pancreas, and rectal cancer as well as bone marrow, ovarian, and breast cancer. In addition to these findings, the research review also found a strong connection between a high BMI (body mass index, which measures the ratio of weight to height) and cancers in the pancreas, kidney, esophagus, liver, and bone marrow. Excess weight carried around the midsection also has risk factors for cancer, as women with extra weight and belly fat were found to have an increased chance of developing endometrial cancer. In fact, the risk increases the higher the waist-to-hip ratio (the measurement for belly fat). The takeaway? People can lower their risk for cancer by staying at a consistently healthy weight.