Integrated Chronic Pain Program is a Huge Success

Chiropractic incorporated into care plan reaps impressive benefits

With the ever-rising costs of treatment for chronic pain, the State of Rhode Island’s legislature directed Medicaid eligible members who suffered from chronic pain to be referred to an Integrated and Chronic Pain Program.  A primary characteristic of these members was high utilization of ER visits as well as opioids/pharmaceuticals.  Additionally, they had “significant economic challenges as well as bio-psychosocial disorders.”

The goal was to utilize a holistic approach, which included chiropractic care, to educate members in self-care and accountability in order to reduce pain levels, reduce opioid usage, improve function, reduce emergency room visits and increase overall health.

To achieve the established goals, the program incorporates holistic nurse case management and community services, along with CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) – in this case including massage, acupuncture and chiropractic care.

Eligible patients were referred to the integrated program.  Those who were referred to the program, but did not reenroll, served as the control group for comparisons.

Patients enrolled in integrated care experienced improved physical and mental function, along with a reduction in pain, fatigue and depression.  The pain reduction was impressive for the patients in the program with half of them reporting 20-50% improvement in pain and a third more reporting improvement of 50% or more. 

The reduction in pain levels was accompanied by a reduction in average claims, ER visits, prescriptions and opioid prescriptions.

 

In a patient satisfaction survey by an independent third party:

• 92% agreed or strongly agreed that their pain reduction was a result of the CAM treatment
• 82% reported an improvement in the quality of daily life as a result of the program
• 96% would recommend the program to others with chronic pain

This real-world example shows that drug-free treatments such as chiropractic care can be very effective pain relief, even for chronic pain sufferers who have had to resort to opioid medications.  By treating the source of the pain and improving function of the body, patients were able to subsequently reduce their reliance on medications, especially opioids.

If you or a loved one is suffering from chronic pain, talk to your chiropractor to learn more about the benefits of chiropractic care as part of an integrated approach to treatment.  Don’t have a chiropractor?  You can find a TCA member doctor near you at https://www.tnchiro.com/find-a-doctor/.

REFERENCE: Integrated Chronic Pain Program (ICPP):  Summary of Results.  https://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.cocsa.org/resource/resmgr/Toolkit_Medicare/AMI_RI_ICPP__Summary_120616_.pdf

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This article is being shared as part of TCA’s
“Realign Your Thinking” public-awareness campaign – 
helping Tennesseans understand what chiropractic care offers
and the positive role it plays in the overall health care system.