 |
| Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net |
Recent
developments have indicated that there is an increase in the number of spinal
surgery performed every year. To address this issue the health plan says that
“prior to authorization to determine medical necessity” is needed. This means
candidates for spinal surgery should have “tried and failed a 3-month course of
conservative management that included physical therapy, chiropractic therapy
and medication.” Another requirement is that a patient having surgery must have
graduated from UPMC’s Health Plan’s low back pain health coaching program.
This
innovative program uses a web-based system to help people “understand the pros
and cons of surgery and high-tech radiology.” This policy is indeed
revolutionary since it’s the first program in the country that implemented
these guidelines. In turn, this program puts chiropractic care at the forefront
for low back pain treatment.
The health
care plan stated that “we feel strongly that this clinical initiative will
improve the quality of care for members who are considering low back surgery,
and that it will facilitate their involvement in the decision-making process.”
Patients
suffering from low back pain in Charlotte NC can find relief they are looking
for by using conservative treatment methods that does not include surgery. We
all know that medical treatment prices have gone up considerably. This in turn
is making chiropractic care a reliable and effective alternative for low backpain patients.
Gerald Clum,
DC, former president of the World Federation of Chiropractic and Life
Chiropractic College West and currently serving as an executive committee
member of the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress congratulated UPMC for its
efforts. He said “The UPMC should be congratulated for its leadership in
establishing policies to assure that the least invasive and most likely to be
successful strategies, including chiropractic care, are applied for a meaningful
period of time before surgical considerations are made.”
