JMPT has published a study comparing the cost-effectiveness of medical and chiropractic care for patients with acute and chronic mechanical low-back pain (LBP). It provides better evidence than any previous single study of cost/effectiveness. This is an economic analysis from 2,870 LBP patients from Western States Chiropractic College and the Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland funded by the US federal government.

It’s findings: that LBP patients, particularly those with chronic pain (defined here as a current episode of pain of only 7 weeks or more), achieve better and more cost-effective results under chiropractic care as opposed to medical care when assessed at 3 months and 12 months. Chiropractic patients do better in terms of reduced pain, reduced disability and greater overall satisfaction with care. Direct costs (i.e. all treatment costs) are such that chiropractic care is cost-effective even before one considers indirect costs (e.g. disability and compensation costs, lost efficiency in production, etc.).

References:
Haas M, Sharma R, Stano M (2005) Cost-Effectiveness of Medical and Chiropractic Care for Acute and Chronic Low Back Pain, J Manipulative Physiol Ther 28: 555-563.