Acupuncture for lower back pain and health resource use

Objectives

1. To describe mainstream health resources utilisation in patients who received acupuncture for lower back pain (LBP) for the year pre and post acupuncture
2. To assess whether or not patients who undergo acupuncture differ in their health resource use from the general population with LBP.

Materials and methods

We reviewed patient charts at acupuncture clinics to identify patients who received acupuncture for LBP in 2000 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The general population with LBP in Calgary was defined using Alberta physician claims administrative data. Number of physician visits and physician cost for LBP-related services for the years 1999 to 2001 were calculated from the physician claims data for the two study groups.

Results

The number of claims and money spent on LBP decreased in the year after acupuncture. Acupuncture patients made fewer visits to physicians and less money was spent on LBP-related services compared to the general population with LBP.

Conclusion

Results suggest that LBP patients are less likely to visit physicians for LBP after acupuncture treatment. This leads to reduced health services spending on LBP.

Acknowledgements

This study was generously supported by the Lotte and John Hecht Foundation and the Norlien Foundation.