Integrated Physician Medicine Reduces Visits for Neck, Back Pain

Newswise —  Employer-sponsored health clinics offering integrated physical medicine services—physical medicine, chiropractic, and acupuncture—can improve clinical outcomes while lowering the costs of care for patients with back pain and other common musculoskeletal conditions, reports an open-access paper in the May Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Dena Bravata, MD, MS, of Stanford University and colleagues assessed the benefits of physical medicine services at 12 employer-sponsored health clinics. Among other innovative features, the clinics provided on-site access to physical therapists, chiropractors, and acupuncturists—integrated with primary care, behavioral health, and other services. The researchers analyzed clinical and economic outcomes of nearly 2,500 patients with musculoskeletal disorders seen at the clinics over 16 months.

Patients at the employer-sponsored clinics were able to access physical medicine services within about a week—much faster than a control group receiving traditional care in the community. Integrated physical medicine also led to greater improvements in physical functioning and fear of pain. These benefits were achieved with eight fewer clinic visits, leading to...

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