We may not know where our health care system will end up 20 years from now. Whether it be due to insurance co-pays or prescriptions, there has been a rapid increase in medical care costs over the years. Thankfully, chiropractic care has brought light into our health care world and opened a gate for holistic practices and the financial (and health!) benefits that come with them. Let’s take a look at the significant differences between chiropractic care and medical costs, and how “Big Pharma” plays a considerable role.
The Medical Side
Medical expenses can vary much more widely than chiropractic care. It heavily depends on who you’re seeing and what tests and medications they provide. Insurance may help, but with the broad range of co-pays and deductibles, you still might not be paying what you had hoped.
A costly contribution is medications. A visit to a doctor’s office regarding neck or back pain will most likely leave you with a prescription in your hand. Prescription painkillers contain easily addictive chemicals, and yet, they are pretty easy to get ahold of. Many medical “treatments”, especially when it comes to handling pain, don’t treat the problem, but rather cover up the symptoms. Once the pain comes back, odds are a new medication may be prescribed, and the cycle continues. In the end, your wallet and body will probably not be happy. Besides, most forms of medical care only provide a quick fix. Overall, prescription painkillers act as more of a numbing agent for the pain rather than a treatment.
Now, not all medication is harmful. Just like most things in life, there is a time and place for medications. With that being said, prescription pain killers in our country are being taken to the point where they are becoming scarily addictive and causing high numbers of death each year.
According to the CDC
“Since the 1990s, when the number of opioids prescribed to 
patients began to grow, the number of overdoses and deaths from
prescription opioids have also increased. Even as the amount of
opioids prescribed and sold for pain has increased, the amount of
pain that Americans report has not similarly changed.
From 1999 to 2017, almost 218,000 people died in the United States from overdoses related to prescription opioids. Overdose deaths
involving prescription opioids were five times higher in 2017 than in
1999.”
Source found HERE.
The Chiropractic Side
The for-profit pharmaceutical industry is ever-growing, and with that comes hefty increases in price. We can thank Big Pharma for producing drugs for cancer, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses. However, with that comes an enormous profit. Many diseases begin with underlying issues that chiropractic care can help resolve without the need for medication or in some cases, even surgery. Taking this route can potentially save patients hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars every year.
Many people are unaware of the long-term benefits that come with chiropractic care. The process goes beyond keeping your spine in alignment. People who get adjusted regularly report they experience fewer headaches and notice they have fewer sinus and allergy issues. To find out more about the benefits of chiropractic as an alternative to some medications, click HERE.
Don’t be discouraged if the problem does not go away overnight. Since chiropractic delves into treating the fundamental issue and not just the surfacing symptoms, it takes time for your body to restore. Even though chiropractic care can have a delayed gratification element to it, it is much more affordable in the long run. Keep this in mind when considering the neverending cycle of visiting a doctor just to be given another prescription.
At Express Chiropractic, we don’t bill insurance, and this allows us to keep our prices lower than most co-pays. Check out our website for more information on our pricing!