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Show Page 4 THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Volume IV, Issue VI July 1, 2001 Money Talks Patients Benefit From Referrals By Dr. Lewis D. Harper Low back pain is one of the most significant problems affecting health care costs and worker productivity. According to a study by RAND, a respected non-profit corporation specializing in medical research, the cost of treating back pain in the United States alone is about $8 billion annually. All the current research confirms that the costs associated with chiropractic management of low back pain is far less than the cost of medical management (in some cases as much as ten times less). According to a recent article in the Washington Post, more and more physicians are now referring patients with spinal problems to Chiropractors. Dr. David H. Baras, a practicing physiatrist and Medical Director of MedRehab, Inc. in St. Petersburg, Florida, recently conducted a seminar for medical doctors, chiropractors, and osteopaths in order to promote cooperation between the different professions within the health care field. “There was a lack of understanding among many of the medical doctors and osteopaths about the educational background of chiropractors,” Dr. Baras said. “Once they understood how qualified chiropractors are, the MD’s became more receptive to understanding the effectiveness of chiropractic adjustments. Many of the MD’s who were initially skeptical at the conference went a way ready to refer their own patients to chiropractors.” In addition to the cost-effectiveness of chiropractic, research has proven again and again that chiropractic is safer and much more effective on low back pain and musculoskeletal problems than traditional medicine. Fewer than 1% of patients with back pain have the kind of serious physical problems which make them candidates for surgery, noted Oakland orthopedic surgeon Peter Slabaugh. “The average medical stu- dent,” he claimed, “gets hardly any education in back pain and musculoskeletal problems. The average physician would like the patient with back pain to get out of his office.” According to the Washington Post article, experts in the field of conventional medicine agree that conventional medical treatment for common back pain is often unsatisfying. “Traction is ineffective; bed rest is counterproductive,” says Daniel C. Cherkin, an epidemiologist who has conducted studies of back pain for Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound in Seattle. “There is probably more evidence for spinal manipulation than any other treatment being used for low back pain.” In another recent study, Cherkin noted that many family doctors expressed frustration over patients who came in with back pain. The patients wanted them to fix something they didn’t have the tools or experience to fix. “The chiropractors,” he concluded, “were confident, comfortable and felt they could make a big difference. Those attitudes and beliefs were very much mirrored in the patients.” One of the reasons some physicians are still somewhat skeptical about the benefits of chiropractic may be because many patients fail to tell their physicians when they see a chiropractor. Patients should no longer be reluctant to inform their physicians of their decision to see a chiropractor, since the evidence for the validity and effectiveness of chiropractic is now clearly established. Those patients who were referred to a chiropractor by their physicians should thank them and express how much they have benefited from the referral. Everyone involved needs to understand that cooperation between the different health professions will benefit the one person responsible for creating and maintaining the entire health care industry—the patient! Licensed Contractor Delbert Morris P.O. BOX 507 EDEN, UT 84310 Tel: 745-1709 Cell: 791-7420 Grading Dirt Hauling Snow Removal Landscaping Rock Work Backhoe Service Tear out & Replace Driveways By Janet Hoffmann Can you believe it snowed in the middle of June? That’s crazy! This is the season for sun and fun not snow and cold—we’ve been there done that, and we are ready for fun in the sun. When we heard the weather report and knew how cold it was going to be, we covered our plants and saved them. I felt like a hero. Then our roof started leaking. No surprise, it just did what it’s been doing for the past 21 years! Four bowls did the job catching all the brown water. Our roof leaks because I have two sons that do roofs. You know how that story goes . . . when a member of the family is good at something, it is the one thing in your home that isn’t fixed yet—your own job is last on the list. Just like the carpenter that lives in an unfinished home or the electrician that lives in the house with no lights. Last fall our sons were nice enough to give us a new roof on most of the house, which stopped a few leaks, but the major leaks are on the part they still need to finish. They keep promising me that they will get to it . . . next week— I’ve heard that for months. Maybe money is a bigger motivator than I want to admit. When we don’t get paid for doing a job, is it easier to put it off? I have to admit that if I’m doing something for money, it usually takes pri- ority. Hopefully my boys will never read this article because I’m not trying to put them on a guilt trip, I’m just looking at motivation and wishing that money wasn’t such a big determiner. How many decisions do you make where money ends up being the biggest factor in the final choice you make? I do it all the time. Money determines what I wear, where I shop, and what I buy. Money determines what we eat, how far and where we travel. It determines many things in my life. Money even determines the time I go to the movies. Shows beginning before 6:00 p.m. are cheaper. So guess when we go to the movies! I’ve even heard of people staying in an unhealthy relationship because of money. Wouldn’t it be nice to make a decision without even considering the financial part of it? Is it realistic? Maybe some of you are rich and can make decisions without much consideration for money. But usually, if you have money and you don’t consider it when making decisions, it’s gone faster than it came. It is an interesting thought to try to keep money in its place and out of the motivation and decision circles. But I do think it’s worth a try. What do you think? In the mean time, I will just patiently wait for my sons to fix my roof—at no cost to me— because, after all, I’m still letting money decide what I will do. Valley Football Sign-up Saturday June 30 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at Snowcrest Junior High Call for more information: Vern Hart 745-6869 Morrie Mau 745-3230 Dave Griffen 745-6695 Tim Contos 745-1137 Coaches and sponsors needed! Take Advantage of Low Interest Rates Refinance or Purchase Now! Since 1977 |