On the popular sitcom Two and a Half Men, Alan, a chiropractor, does not get a lot of respect for his occupation and often gets very irritated when people remind him that he is not a real doctor. This captures the idea that a lot of people have about chiropractors. However, a recent report suggests that maybe we should all change our view: chiropractic care was found to be more cost-effective than traditional treatments for low back pain and neck pain.

26% of adult Americans report having back pain, 14% have neck pain. Low back pain patients account for 2% of all doctor visits and the cost of treating spine-related problems is around $85 billion per year. Traditional treatments for these conditions include rest, medications, physical therapy, braces, exercise, and surgery.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, chiropractors “practice a drug-free, hands-on approach to health care that includes patient examination, diagnosis and treatment. Chiropractors have broad diagnostic skills and are also trained to recommend therapeutic and rehabilitative exercises, as well as to provide nutritional, dietary and lifestyle counseling.” Chiropractic treatment focuses mostly on manual therapy such as manipulation and mobilization of the spine, commonly referred to as “chiropractic adjustment.” Studies show that between 6%-12% of Americans use utilize chiropractors, mostly for low back pain.

The report, which looked at several scientific studies assessing chiropractic care in the US and Europe, concluded that chiropractic care is more effective than traditional treatment modalities for low back and neck pain. For low back pain, chiropractic care actually costs $75 more per patient per year than medical doctor care, whereas for neck pain, it decreases costs by $302 per patient per year. However, when cost and effectiveness are considered together, a concept commonly referred to as value, chiropractic care was found to be more cost-effective for both conditions.

The expression “pain in the neck” refers to something that is very annoying. Thankfully, chiropractic care can help up all with this, and at a relatively low price.