A Little Friendly Advice About Death, Taxes and Back Pain

Did you know that one out of every two working adults,
that's 50 PERCENT, will suffer from back pain this year?

If you are thinking that you land in the "other 50
percent", the half that will not have to visit the doctor
consider this. 90 PERCENT of adults will need to see a
doctor due to some problem with their back. And, according
to the American Academy of Family Physicians, complaints
of low back pain are the fifth most common reason for all
visits to the doctor*. Those statistics cross ethnicity,
geography, age and job function meaning you are just as
likely to suffer from back pain if you are a laborer as if
you are an office worker.

Now, back pain can stem from many, many, many different
sources. You can get back spasms and neck pain from poor
ergonomics while you slump in front of your computer eight
hours a day. You can suffer acute low back pain and
numbness in your legs following a car accident. You could
be suffering from the cumulative affects of age and an old
football injury from your teen years that was never treated
correctly. And in a very small number of cases, you could
be suffering from a herniated disc or something as serious
as cancer.

The reality, though, is this. Those who suffer from back
pain far outpace those who do not in doctor's visits and
healthcare costs.

A 2004 study done by Spine.com (and based on 1998 Medical
Expenditure Panel Survey data), found that Americans who
suffer from some form of back pain spent 30 percent more
than those who did not suffer from back pain. Most of the
costs (which included health benefits payments, as well as
out of pocket spending) were due to CHRONIC BACK PAIN.

A LITTLE FRIENDLY ADVICE

Like death and taxes, it seems back pain may just be one of
the few things in life you can count on. So if you are
smart, you will plan for it.

One of the things you can do is take good care of your
back. If you do not have a regular exercise routine that
includes strengthening and lengthening, get one. At the
very least, you should work with weights at least twice a
week, stretch your back and legs once a day, and do your
crunchies every day.

Another thing you can do is make sure you have adequate
health benefits coverage. Perhaps because back pain is so
pervasive or perhaps because there can be so many causes,
many health benefits plans severely limit what is covered.
That may mean you pay a large deductible when being treated
for back pain. It may mean you have an annual limit set at
$1K - $2K. Your health plan may not allow for chiropractic
care. Whatever the case, make sure you check you health
benefits package to see what restrictions it places on
treatment for back pain.

If you find there are limits, check into Consumer Driven
Health Plans. Most Consumer Driven Health Plans also offer
supplemental health benefits packages designed to provide
affordable coverage for those healthcare areas that the
typical insurance carrier does not pay for.

But whatever you do, get prepared. Back pain will find you.

*"Diagnosis and Management of Acute Low Back Pain".
American Academy of Family Physicians. Retrieved March 12,
2007.

----------------------------------------------------
Jim Martinez is a National Sales Director for Ameriplan
USA, offering discount benefits plans that include
chiropractic care for as little as $19.95 per month. Visit
http://www.FamilyDentalHealthPlans.com for more health
articles and to sign up now for Ameriplan benefits plans.