The cost of treating back and neck pains and other ailments associated with the spine has risen dramatically in recent years although patients report little relief from pain.According to respondents to a survey funded in part by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and in conjunction with an endowment from Surgical Dynamics Inc., the cost of treating spinal problems rose a whopping 65% from 1997 to 2005.

During the same period of time, the cost of patients seeking medical care in the absence of spinal issues rose only 29%.

Of the population reporting spinal complaints, only 16.2% identified physical limitations resulting from the complaints but the figure rose to 24.7% in 2005.

Using inflation-adjusted dollars valued on the 2005 dollar, the per-capita expenditure for spinal complaints in 1997 was $4,695 while the cost of health care for those without spinal issues was only $2,731.

By 2005, the per-capita cost of treating patients with spinal complaints had risen to $6,086 and to $3,516 for patients without spinal complaints. The overall national cost of treating spinal complaints in 2005 was $85.9 billion, more than doubling the $33 billion spent in 1997.


In spite of the increased expenditure, people complaining of back pains report little improvement in their conditions.

Types of treatment and medications received were not isolated for this survey, an ongoing federal project known as the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which collects data from survey respondents, insurers, and healthcare providers.

Further details of the survey are included in the February 13 issue of the JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.