Value for money in spinal pain care depended on the patient group
An analysis of US trials found that economic results for manipulation, supervised exercise and home exercise differed substantially across pain conditions and ages.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
The analysis did not identify a consistently best-value treatment across spinal pain populations. Manipulation had favorable economic results in some comparisons and unfavorable results in others, depending on pain location, duration, age and the alternative treatment. Large differences between trials led the researchers to report individual results rather than a pooled estimate.
Incomplete participant data and substantial variation between trial results limit a single overall conclusion. The abstract does not report the economic time horizons, which leaves an important part of the cost comparisons unspecified.
Value included costs and health
Researchers compared costs with health outcomes, using quality-adjusted life years as the main outcome. They considered both healthcare and societal perspectives, so the question concerned economic value as well as changes in clinical outcomes.
The comparison changed the result
For adults with chronic back pain, manipulation compared favorably with supervised exercise but was unlikely to be cost-effective against home exercise and advice. These results concern different alternatives and cannot support a universal ranking.
The original publication
Cost-effectiveness of spinal manipulation, exercise, and self-management for spinal pain.
Leininger BD, Kuntz KM, Hodges JS et al.
Chiropr Man Therap · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 40849676
- Record checked
AI-assisted research and writing. This explains one selected publication; it is not a complete review of everything known. Our approach.
One more question, understood.
Keep track of the research you’ve explored.