Work absenteeism and chiropractic care

Work Absenteeism and Chiropractic

There is really no particular type of injury, although the most common is neck and back injury, which accounts for 90% of most injuries that occur at work.

Repetitive stress injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome, are also injuries we regularly treat. They are also the leading cause of work absenteeism and the largest expense for companies in the realm of workers’ compensation.

Other common injuries include: knee, hip, and joint injuries, rotator cuff injuries, and a variety of back and neck sprains/strains.

Many occupations require a worker to perform the same movement dozens, hundreds, or thousands of times each month. These repetitive movements often result in cumulative trauma. This is also known as a Gillette injury and falls under work-related injuries. The onset of this type of injury is often gradual. Injuries that occur over time can actually be much worse than a sudden fracture or other work injury. The severity of the injury is not always known immediately.

The primary goal is to get patients back to their occupation, however, never before they are truly physically ready. It is important to receive proper care after a work injury, not only to stop the pain but to restore the patient to comfortable, pain-free functioning. Without proper healing, a work injury is more likely to recur later.

Work Absenteeism and Chiropractic

Chiropractic Care and Work Injuries

Chiropractic care continues to be one of the main treatment options for work-related injuries. Research studies sponsored by more than a dozen state governments have repeatedly shown that chiropractic is more than twice as effective. It gets injured workers back to work with half the disability and half the cost.

• If you are the employer, it would make sense to require that all injured workers be seen first by a chiropractor.

Work absenteeism and chiropractic are more than twice as effective in getting injured workers back to work with half the disability and half the cost

STUDIES ON WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

THE UTAH STUDY: lower costs and fewer lost days

This 1988 study by the Utah Workers’ Compensation Board revealed an average tenfold savings on work-related back injuries treated by chiropractors compared to conventional doctors ($68.38 vs. $668.39).

To ensure accurate and true results, only back-related injuries with the same diagnostic codes were compared between the two treatment groups. Additionally, the medical treatments evaluated were limited to non-surgical medical treatments only.

Study: Comparative cost per case of chiropractic versus medical treatment for back injury claims with identical diagnostic codes. Jarvis KB, et al. Journal of Occupational Medicine – 1991; 33: 847 – 52.

THE FLORIDA STUDY: less disability, lower costs, and lower hospitalization rates

A large study conducted by the State of Florida in the U.S. examined 10,652 patients who suffered work-related back injuries. Their findings revealed that individuals who received chiropractic care compared to conventional medical care experienced (I) 51.3% less total duration of temporary disability (II) lower treatment costs by 58.8% (III) a hospitalization rate of 20.3% in the chiropractic care group compared to a 52.2% rate in the conventional medical care group.

Study: Analysis of medical claims for workers’ compensation for work-related back injuries from the State of Florida. Wolk S. Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research, Arlington, VA. – 1988.

 

THE CALIFORNIA STUDY: chiropractic patients return to work sooner

In this study, Richard Wolf, MD followed a group of 500 people sent for chiropractic treatments and another group of 500 people sent to conventional doctors for treatment. Those who received chiropractic treatments returned to work in an average of 15.6 days while those who received treatments from doctors did so in 32 days.

Study: Industrial back injury. Wolf CR. International Journal of Chiropractic – 1974; 26: 6-7.

THE OREGON STUDY: chiropractic gets people back to work quickly!

This Oregon study found that individuals with workers’ compensation claims returned to work significantly faster under chiropractic care compared to conventional medical care. In fact, under chiropractic care, 82% were able to return to work after one week compared to only 41% in those who received medical care.

Study: Time-loss claims. Portland, OR. Workers’ Compensation Board, State of Oregon, March 1971.

THE AUSTRALIAN STUDY

In this study, 1,996 workers’ compensation cases in patients suffering from work-related mechanical low back pain were evaluated. It was found that individuals who received chiropractic care for back pain returned to work 4 times faster (6.26 days vs. 25.56 days) and had treatment costs that were 4 times less ($392 vs. $1,569) than those who received treatments from conventional doctors. Additionally, in patients who received chiropractic care, there was a significantly lower incidence of progression to a chronic state of low back pain.

Study: Mechanical low back pain: a comparison of medical and chiropractic management within the Victorian WorkCover scheme. Ebrall, PS. Chiropractic Journal of Australia – 1992; 22: 47-53.

THE MANGA REPORT – back to work… and fast!

According to this study commissioned by the Canadian government, “… injured workers diagnosed with low back pain returned to work much sooner when treated by chiropractors than by conventional doctors.”

Study: Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of chiropractic treatment for low back pain (Manga Report). Pran Manga and Associates (1993) – University of Ottawa, Canada.

Chiropractic treats injured workers and gets them back to work quickly; with lower treatment costs and disability ratings compared to many other forms of treatment.

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