I heard it again...You got drugs, you got surgery, you got us

Well maybe there is not enough about Physical Therapists mentioned but at least Amber Dance in the LA Times feature on Low Back Pain correctly notes that the U.S. has, by far, the highest frequency of back surgeries among developed nations.  There are approximately 1.2 million spinal surgeries in the U.S. each year, double the rate seen in other comparable countries.  Of course I happen to live in Fort Collins, CO at the epicenter of spinal surgical overuse injuries.  Make sure you check out your statistical likelihood of getting spine surgery at the Dartmouth Atlas of Healthcare.  I do want some bloggers to say "Hey Tim we have more than you!"  The article in the Times ended with a nice qoute from Dr. Rick Deyo  "There's been a big increase in the intensity of treatment for back pain, that intensity, he says, would better serve many if it focused more on finding the best therapy for each patient -- and less on the surgical quick fix."   Subgroups anyone?  Novel concept.

Tim