Mechanical Low-Back Pain: A Comparison of Medical and Chiropractic Management Within the Victorian WorkCare Scheme

This was a retrospective study of all work-related low-back pain claimants within a twelve-month period in Victoria, Australia, drawing on the database of the Victorian Accident Compensation Commission, and comparing costs of outcomes between chiropractic and medical care. The study found that 1) there was a significantly lower number of claimants requiring compensation days when chiropractic management was chosen; 2) there were fewer compensation days taken by claimants who received chiropractic management; 3) a greater number of patients progressed to chronic status when medical management was chosen and; 4) there was a greater average payment per claim with medical management ($2308.10) versus chiropractic management ($963.47). The investigator concluded that if the Victorian chiropractors managed up to 40% of low back pain cases (substituting medical care) then the direct savings within the Victorian WorkCare scheme for the study period would have been $10 million over 7,482 claims.