OBJECTIVES

: Patients may reduce utilization of expensive health services regarding their low back pain (LBP) by visiting physical therapists or chiropractors in the earlier stages of LBP. Yet, the choice between the physiotherapy and chiropractic depends on their cost-effectiveness. Since, the studies of acute low back pain have found mixed results about the cost effectiveness of physiotherapy against chiropractic, the purpose of this study is to assess the cost-effectiveness of these treatments for patients with at least 3 weeks of low back pain in the US.

METHODS

The seminal works arguing the cost and effectiveness of physical therapy and chiropractic in low back pain in Medline and Google Scholar database were reviewed. For finding the cost, the costs at the time of treatment and the follow-up costs within 6 months from the initial visit were queried. Search for the treatment costs was limited to the studies that were undertaken in the United States and reported their outcome in the US dollar value. Search for the results in health state utilities gained after the treatment was all-inclusive.

RESULTS

: This study included patients with the mean age of 41.4 with a standard deviation of 11.6 to each chiropractic and physiotherapy group. While 60 percent of patients considered to be women, the cost for chiropractic and physiotherapy correspondingly were $410.89 and $459.45. Also, in the same order disability-adjusted life years (DALY) were 0.01562 and 0.01132.

CONCLUSIONS

: This study examined the effects and costs for the patients who have received physical therapy or chiropractic and used a decision tree to determine the benefits to any of these treatments with regard to their cost and in comparison to their treatments. The outcome showed chiropractic care was a more cost-effective alternative for the patients with low back pain.