We are all familiar with insurance. Most of us have it. When we sign up for insurance, regardless of the type, we have to pay a premium of some sort. Most of us are aware that the premium is not the same for everyone. The insurance company determines who are at a high risk, those people the insurance company will be paying lots of money for, and those who will be low risk, the people who won't be using much of the insurers money but will be putting money into the insurer's pockets. Low risk individuals typically pay a lower rate than the high risk individuals. The rates are a fairly good measure of risk assessment.
So I went looking for rates to compare. Felt like a super sleuth, minus the trench coat and wide rimmed hat. It was really hard finding a site that would give me quotes without being a doctor of some sort but I came across another blog of a chiropractor who did the math for me. I looked at his malpractice rates and the rates of the other doctors compared to his on his blog and he was paying way less per year. The post was from a little over two years ago but I was able to find some articles about the high rate of malpractice insurance as well as the average cost of insurance for the medical profession. For a chiropractor the average chiropractic malpractice insurance rates was around $1500 per year while for the medical doctor it was $10,000-$20,000 per year (This is influenced by where and what they practice).
Well like all criminal drama's say "follow the money." Cheaper average rates means there are fewer malpractice cases files against chiropractors. Which means the average chiropractor is in fact safer than the propaganda would have you believe.
Could those rates potentially be partly because fewer people go to chiropractors than they do other doctors? Because wouldn't that in itself decrease the probability of a chiropractor being sued? Less chiropractors = less chiropractic patients = less suing of chiropractors.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I do agree that going to a chiropractor is less dangerous than going to another doctor. There are so many more things that could go wrong in a clinic where they are sticking you with needles, cutting you open, putting metal in your body, removing organs, giving you medications, etc., which is probably another reason the malpractice suits are higher in these settings.
My only concern with chiropractors is that I think sometimes people become unnecessarily dependent on them. I think chiropractors do help a lot of people, and that some people find relief visiting a chiropractor on a regular basis. I have no beef with your future occupation. I just think that some people don't need to visit the chiropractor as often as they think they do. I could be wrong.
Megan, your points are well taken...here's what I've found. Just like you brush your teeth, for the rest of your life (hopefully), your spine needs care just like your teeth. Instead of sugars and other toxins, your spine gets bombarded with physical trauma (i.e. bad posture, accidents, slip and falls, sports injuries, etc). As a result, you need adjustments. In simple terms, just like dental hygiene keeps teeth healthy, chiropractic adjustments keep the spine healthy.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that makes sense. I'd be willing to guess my back isn't in top shape. I feel fine, but I never sit up straight, so that probably doesn't do anything for me. How often do you think people should visit the chiropractor, and if a person does back-strengthening exercises on a regular basis, does that decrease the number of visits they should make?
ReplyDeleteIf you've never seen a chiropractor to have x-rays and a full evaluation of your spine, then chances are you will need some fairly intense "treatment" in the beginning. Once your spine is corrected and your musculature is able to keep your vertebra from becoming subluxated without much provocation, then you would most likely want to have a DC check your spine every 1-3 months depending on how active you are, what you do for work, etc.
ReplyDeleteBack strengthening exercises are great, however if you are exercising on a spine that is already out alignment, your vertebrae and discs will degenerate faster. It's like driving a car that is out of alignment... What happens to the wheels? They wear down at different rates. That's why some people develop degenerative joint disease in any part of the body, not just the spine - there is an imbalance in either posture or biomechanics and it forces certain joints to take the brunt of it.
you'll be a fanTASTIC chiro, stuart! you HAVE to be... otherwise... who will fix my laura's back? :)
ReplyDeleteYou will be a fantastic Chiropractor, Stuee.
ReplyDeleteMegan, I know what you mean. Before my injury I never thought about going to a Chiropractor. The thing I love about Bill is that he answered all my questions and let me choose for myself what I needed. Somedays I could feel that having pressure put on my back was going to do something terrible and if I felt like all I needed was my legs pulled Bill would do that. You're going to know what you need since you can feel it.
Some doctors just want to crack as much of your back as possible and send you on your way.
Doctors have a huge responsibility and need to remember their boundaries and to listen to their patients - that's why Stuart is going to be great.
PS. At one point I was going to Bill 3 times a week because my back was that back. Now if I was able to I'd probably go once or twice a month - and that's because I'm still injured. I think a lot of people could use an adjustment every 3-6 months.