Dr. Hamilton Hall, International Spine Expert, and Pure HealthyBack Team Up to Deliver Groundbreaking Solution for Back and Neck Pain

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Dr. Hall, surgeon, author, and international back expert, brings specific areas of expertise to enhance Pure HealthyBack’s advanced protocols.

Orlando, FL and New Orleans, LA — (February 18, 2012) Dr. Hamilton Hall, one of the world’s foremost orthopedic spine surgeons, has joined with Pure Healthy Back (PHB), Inc. of Orlando, FL to bring PHB’s non-surgical solution to more back and neck pain sufferers.

“We are delighted to be working with Dr. Hall,” said Jim Evanger, PHB president. “He shares our belief that a majority of chronic back and neck pain can be relieved through the Pure Healthy Back program’s evidence-based protocols. Further, we are excited to incorporate his work on patterns of pain into our proven treatment regime.”

Dr. Hall, author of A Consultation With the Back Doctor and three other best-selling books about how individuals can take care of their backs and necks, says that most back pain isn’t managed very well—that the solution for most people isn’t surgery.

“Over 90 percent of back pain is caused by nothing more sinister than minor mechanical malfunctions. Although the pain can be intense and the problem can recur, the problem itself is usually just the result of natural wear and tear,” said Dr. Hall.

“In spite of the fact that medicine has tried to deal with sore backs for more than 100 years, back pain is the most common reason for lost work time and costs the economy tens of billions of dollars,” he said. “What we have attempted to do in the past and the way we’ve attempted to do it hasn’t worked. Everyone talks about solving back pain, but the problem isn’t going away; in fact it’s getting worse. There needs to be a re-think of this whole thing. That’s what I see in Pure HealthyBack—a simple, efficient non-surgical, patient-focused approach to back pain that works.”

The PHB approach is based on scientifically proven protocols and PHB’s unique proprietary strengthening technology, which has been scientifically proven and reported in more than seventy-five peer-reviewed medical journal articles. The PHB program significantly decreases chronic spine-related pain issues and reduces the need for ongoing spinal care.

The program emphasizes elimination of pain and restoration of function. It is the first initiative of its kind to combine objective measurement, data-driven protocols, individualized programs, and predictable, sustainable outcomes.

“PHB looks at chronic back pain in a slightly different way,” says Dr. Hall. “The solution to back pain is mechanical. We combine that message with a program designed to change patient behavior. We do that in a way that is sensible, fun, and develops a feeling of accomplishment. This increases compliance with the protocols that help people free themselves from back pain and get back to life.”

Pure HealthyBack operates an expanding network of clinics led by medical doctors which provide a proven comprehensive treatment regime. Recently the company announced strategic partnerships with Ochsner Health System in New Orleans, LA, and with Dynamic Rehabilitation of Detroit, MI, one of the largest spinal rehabilitation practices of its kind.

“We are helping to significantly reduce back and neck pain,” Mr. Evanger said. “This means that patients are able to resume their normal personal and work-related activities. Healthcare providers and accountable care organizations can achieve measurable and improved patient outcomes; employers and health plans have the opportunity to reduce cost.”

Pure HealthyBack is actively seeking new potential clinic partners nationwide—integrated medical systems, accountable care organizations (ACOs), third party administrators for self-funded plans, and large physician practices—where the PHB program can provide another dimension to these organizations’ current offerings.
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Pure Healthy Back, Inc. (PHB) is the leading provider of turn-key, non-surgical, evidence-based, physician-driven treatment for chronic back and neck pain in the United States. Our direct customers are health plans, accountable care organizations, and employers and labor groups that self-fund health care or self-insure injury and disability.The clinical efficacy of Pure Healthy Back’s proprietary, patented, FDA-registered medical lumbar and cervical strengthening technology and treatment protocols has been validated by more than twenty years of medical research. The PHB program has documented success in improving spinal function and significantly reducing symptoms in patients who have tried and failed other spine treatment solutions. http://www.purehealthyback.com

Dr. Hamilton Hall is one of the world’s foremost orthopedic back surgeons and the author of the Back Doctor series of bestselling books. He is founder and Medical Director of the Canadian Back Institute (now CBI Health Group), the largest rehabilitation company in Canada. Dr. Hall is a Professor of Surgery at the University of Toronto and is on the active staff of the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto. He is a co-founder of the Canadian Spine Society and currently serves as its Executive Director. Dr. Hall lives near Owen Sound, Ontario.

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Originally Published: February 17, 2013 8:00 PM Modified: February 17, 2013 11:25 PM

Dynamic Rehab Expects to Double Clients with Healthy Back Contract
By Jay Greene

Troy-based Dynamic Rehabilitation is looking to increase the number of patients it treats under a contract with Pure Healthy Back, an Orlando, Fla.-based rehabilitation equipment manufacturer and treatment provider.

With seven rehabilitation centers in Southeast Michigan and $15 million in annual revenue, Dynamic Rehabilitation specializes in lower back and neck-related pain.

The 4,000 patients Dynamic Rehabilitation treats each year primarily come from physician referrals and advertising. The contract with Pure Healthy Back is expected to double those customers over the next two years as the company seeks contracts with unions, self-insured companies, accountable-care organizations and health plans, said Jeff Wayne, president of Dynamic Rehabilitation.

“These groups have a close eye on health care dollars — especially those expenses with poor long-term outcomes such as chronic back and neck injuries,” Wayne said. “They are tired of paying for surgical intervention, injections, prescription drugs and imaging that just don’t have good long-term outcomes.”

Wayne said Pure Healthy Back also has agreed to invest a “substantial” amount in rehabilitation equipment as Dynamic increases the number of centers it operates over the next several years.

“They will provide all MedX (rehabilitation) equipment we might have to purchase if we expand,” Wayne said. “Our centers vary in size. Equipment for one center might cost $15,000 to $200,000.”

Under the contract, Dynamic and Pure Healthy Back will split the profits of what is called the Dynamic HealthyBack program after deducting overhead costs, said Jim Evanger, president of Pure Healthy Back.

Evanger said Pure Healthy Back has hired two sales employees in Detroit to seek contracts.

Jonathan Cohee, president and COO of Pontiac-based TheraMatrix Physical Therapy, said competition is fierce in Detroit and nationally for carve-out rehabilitation services to treat back and neck injuries.

“We contract for the entire physical therapy benefit, and there is not a lot of competition there with self-insured companies,” Cohee said. “It is a good marketing strategy for Dynamic Rehabilitation to expand patient base in that area.”

Cohee said health care reform presents many opportunities for physical therapy and rehabilitation companies.

“There is a substantial need for more provider networks to partner with accountable-care organizations to provide high-quality physical therapy and competitive rates,” Cohee said.

TheraMatrix is in talks with several ACOs and self-insured employers, he said.

Since the Pure Healthy Back agreement was signed last fall, Dynamic Rehabilitation has signed one contract with a union with 5,200 members, Evanger said. The union declined to be named.

“This is a different market for us and represents an opportunity for us to grow quickly from an industry of patients we have never really received a great deal from,” Wayne said.

About 10 percent of any adult population suffers from back or neck problems, Evanger said.

Research has shown that chronic back and neck pain is the No. 1 cause of lost workdays and the second most common cause of disability in the U.S. More than $100 billion annually is spent on back and neck pain treatment.

“(The agreement) will be hugely successful reducing costs for large self-insured groups” and other organizations, Wayne said.

“We have one (company) that spent $10,000 (per employee) on care for back and neck pain. Those employees are still searching for relief of pain,” Wayne said.

Once a contract is signed, Evanger said, the company uses a special software program to review medical claims of back or neck treatments to show companies what they spend per employee or member. Employees also are offered personal health coaching.

“We offer a money-back guarantee that if we don’t get results with a patient (in the 10-week program), we refund up to what we were paid,” Evanger said. “There is zero risk for the employer, union or payer. We have documented results with a 90 percent success rate over the years.”

Using McKenzie therapy for diagnosis and treatment and specialized equipment for cervical and lumbar extension and strengthening, Dynamic Rehabilitation has significantly improved back and neck strength to 50,000 patients and more than 1 million visits, Wayne said.

“We use the same equipment (MedX) and treatment (McKenzie therapy),” Evanger said. “We will fold in our protocols with proprietary analytics and system for evaluating clients.”

Dynamic HealthyBack will operate at five of the seven Dynamic Rehabilitation clinics in Clinton Township, Farmington Hills, Redford, Taylor and Troy.

Pure Healthy Back also has a contract to treat back pain problems with the 12,000 employees of New Orleans-based Ochsner Health System, Evanger said.

Evanger said the Dynamic Rehabilitation pact is Pure Healthy Back’s first partnership agreement with a rehabilitation provider. He said talks are under way with other rehabilitation companies nationwide.

Pure Healthy Back, Inc. and Dynamic Rehabilitation Form Strategic Parnership

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Pure Healthy Back, Inc. and Dynamic Rehabilitation Team Up To Provide Safe, Groundbreaking Treatment for Chronic Back and Neck Pain

Comprehensive Clinical Treatment Program Reports 95 Percent Success Rate

Orlando, FL and Detroit, MI – October 9, 2012 – Chronic back and neck pain are the number one cause of lost workdays and the second most common cause of disability in the United States. The prevalence and impact of these debilitating conditions costs the healthcare system $100 billion annually.

Pure Healthy Back, Inc. (PHB) of Orlando, FL and Dynamic Rehabilitation of Detroit, MI, one of the largest and most successful spinal rehabilitation practices of its kind in the country, have joined together in a strategic partnership, Dynamic HealthyBack, to help individuals and populations suffering from these debilitating conditions find a solution.

“Our focus will be to make our turnkey, no-risk clinical treatment regimen available to self-funded employer groups, health systems, and union welfare funds, as well as accountable care organizations (ACOs),” said Jim Evanger, PHB president. “No other technology has been as well researched. We can prove our approach works, and we are excited to be partnering with Dynamic Rehabilitation, a premier expert in treating chronic back and neck pain that has been using our patented technology since 1992. We are so confident in our program that we offer a money-back guarantee. If a patient goes on to have surgery within one year of completing our treatment, we will refund 100 percent of our program cost.”

Dynamic HealthyBack clinics will deliver an innovative clinical solution and comprehensive wellness program combining Dynamic Rehabilitation’s extensive experience with Pure Healthy Back’s FDA-approved proprietary technology to deliver groundbreaking treatment protocols that emphasize functional rehabilitation and restoration. It is the first initiative of its kind to combine objective measurement, data-driven protocols, individualized programs, and predictable, sustainable outcomes.

This safe, non-surgical, patient-centric solution has been reported in more than 110 peer-reviewed medical journal articles to materially decrease chronic spine-related pain issues and decrease the need for ongoing spinal care. A large Michigan HMO reported a 95 percent annual success rate for preventing surgery three years running.

“Employers, unions, and ACOs all face the challenge of providing quality healthcare that improve outcomes and reduces costs,” said Jeff Wayne, president of Dynamic Rehabilitation. “Our goal is to change the way back and neck pain is treated, using the safest, most advanced spine care available to produce unparalleled results. From completing more than one million spinal patient visits, we know what does and does not work.”

Michigan-based Dynamic HealthyBack clinics will operate in five Dynamic Rehabilitation locations: Clinton Township, Farmington Hills, Redford, Taylor, and Troy.
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Pure Healthy Back, Inc. (PHB) is the only leading provider of turnkey, non-surgical, evidence-based, physician-driven treatment for chronic back and neck pain in the United States. Our direct customers are health plans, Accountable Care Organizations, employers and labor groups that self-fund health care or self-insure injury and disability.

PHB operates an expanding network of clinics led by medical doctors which provide a proven comprehensive treatment regime. The PHB program has a 95 percent success rate for improving spine function, significantly reducing symptoms, and avoiding surgery in chronic spine pain populations.

The clinical efficacy of the Pure Healthy Back proprietary, patented, FDA-registered medical lumbar and cervical strengthening technology and treatment protocols has been validated by more than 25 years of medical research. The PHB program has documented success in improving spinal function and significantly reducing symptoms even when patients have tried and failed other spine treatment solutions. http://www.purehealthyback.com

Dynamic Rehabilitation, one of the largest, most successful spinal rehabilitation practices in the country, is focused solely on the treatment and prevention of persistent back and neck pain.

Since 1992, the Dynamic Rehabilitation team of board-certified physicians, physical therapists and medical specialists has completed over one million spinal patient visits from more than 1,600 local physician referrals with unparalleled success. Dynamic Rehabilitation is the only company of its kind in Michigan to be simultaneously designated a Spine Center of Excellence by three of Michigan’s largest managed care companies. http://www.dynamicrehab.com

Pure Healthy Back, Inc. and Ochsner Health System Announce Strategic Parnership

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Orlando, FL and New Orleans, LA — (October 8, 2012) Pure Healthy Back, Inc. of Orlando, FL and Ochsner Health System of New Orleans, LA have entered into a partnership to deliver Pure Healthy Back’s groundbreaking treatment protocols for individuals suffering from chronic back and neck pain.
The Ochsner HealthyBack Program, an extension of Ochsner’s renowned Spine Institute and a key component of Ochsner’s accountable care strategy, provides evidence-based, non-surgical treatment for one of the most debilitating conditions in the country today. Back and neck pain afflicts an estimated 80 percent of all adult Americans and costs the U.S. healthcare system as much as $100 billion every year.
The new Ochsner HealthyBack Program combines the unique benefits of the Pure Healthy Back’s proven clinical approach to chronic back and neck pain and Ochsner’s internationally recognized expertise at delivering exceptional medical care.
“Ochsner Health System is well known for its proactive and evidence-based measures in providing the highest quality healthcare to its patient population,” said Jim Evanger, president of Pure Healthy Back. “The partnership between Pure Healthy Back and Ochsner Health System is a natural fit. Together we will measurably improve long-term recovery outcomes as well as patient quality of life while significantly reducing costs for both patients and providers.”
The new initiative is based on scientifically proven protocols and PHB’s unique proprietary strengthening technology, which has been scientifically proven and reported in more than seventy-five peer-reviewed medical journal articles to materially decrease chronic spine-related pain issues and decrease the need for ongoing spinal care.
The program emphasizes functional rehabilitation and restoration. It is the first initiative of its kind to combine objective measurement, data-driven protocols, individualized programs, and predictable, sustainable outcomes.
“We are integrating the Pure HealthyBack program into our newly created Spine Institute,” said Janet Niles, vice president of Accountable Care at Ochsner Health System. “Patients with back and neck pain can come to Ochsner and find the approach that offers them the best opportunity of success.”
The program will initially be implemented at Ochsner Baptist Medical Center in New Orleans.
•••
Pure Healthy Back, Inc. (PHB) is the only leading provider of turnkey, non-surgical, evidence-based, physician-driven treatment for chronic back and neck pain in the United States. Our direct customers are health plans, Accountable Care Organizations, and employers and labor groups that self-fund health care or self-insure injury and disability.
PHB operates an expanding network of clinics led by medical doctors which provide a proven comprehensive treatment regime. The PHB program has a 90 percent success rate for improving spine function, significantly reducing symptoms, and avoiding surgery.
The clinical efficacy of the Pure HealthyBack proprietary, patented, FDA-registered medical lumbar and cervical strengthening technology and treatment protocols has been validated by more than twenty years of medical research. The PHB program has documented success in improving spinal function and significantly reducing symptoms to patients that have tried and failed other spine treatment solutions. http://www.purehealthyback.com

Ochsner Health System is southeast Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, multi-specialty, healthcare delivery system with eight hospitals and 38 health centers in Louisiana. Ochsner has been named the Consumer Choice for Healthcare in New Orleans for 16 consecutive years and is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News and World Report as a “Best Hospital” across 11 specialty categories. Ochsner employs more than 13,000 employees, over 850 physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties and conducts over 300 clinical research trials annually. Ochsner Health System is proud to be a tobacco-free environment. http://www.ochsner.org

CNBC Guest Blog – Jim Evanger: The Future of Health Care – Rewarding Results

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Now that the Supreme Court has rendered its opinion and 30 million consumers will be entering the health care system, improving the quality and affordability of health care is more critical than ever. How can we repair a system with runaway costs that is already near the breaking point?

We need to transition to improved outcomes for our healthcare system to handle the challenges of the existing and new patient surge without imploding.

Jim Evanger, President of Pure Healthy Back, shared his perspective as a guest blogger on www.cnbc.com

The Supreme Court has rendered its opinion and now we’re going to have around 30 million more consumers entering a health care system that is already broken… and broke.

What should be done? In a word: outcomes.

How many businesses do you know that get paid regardless of the level of service or results that they deliver? Would you pay someone after mowing your lawn even if the grass wasn’t actually cut?

Probably not.

Unfortunately, this characterizes our current health care system in the United States.

We have been operating in a fee-for-service environment for years and the costs have spiraled out of control. There is no accountability in the system. Caregivers have an incentive to gen up more treatments, examinations, admissions and diagnoses so they can bill for more services and earn larger fees. Not every caregiver operates this way, but enough do that their behavior creates massive debt for our country. No one, it seems, is held accountable for the outcomes that are, or are not, delivered. Why should health care be different than any other industry or business that exists to reach end goals before the players are rewarded?

At Pure HealthyBack, we’re tackling back and neck pain. It’s one of the most common reasons for missed work and trips to the doctor’s office — and extremely costly to our system.

My company handles back and neck pain under a different model than what is typical. Our clinics do this with an “at risk,” outcomes-driven and evidence-based treatment program. We don’t get paid for the services we provide to a patient unless that patient stays out of the healthcare system for at least a year after we treat them.

That’s right. If we don’t meet the agreed upon improved outcomes, we don’t get paid.

I call on other health care providers and payers to band together into Accountable Care Organizations or other business arrangements that also reward results. We need to transition to improved outcomes for our healthcare system to handle the challenges of the existing and new patient surge without imploding.

Outcomes measuring will ensure that costs are managed and waste is cut dramatically, while keeping people healthier, the ultimate goal.

>Click here for CNBC blog.

Chronic Low Back and Neck Pain: An Epidemic Out of Control

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By Thomas E. Dreisinger, PhD, FACSM
May 12, 2012

You would be hard-pressed to find an insurer in the United States today who isn’t looking for ways to reduce healthcare costs without compromising the quality of care. Cost centers associated with chronic lower back and neck pain are a good place to start. At $100 billion annually, back and neck pain treatment interventions are the sixth most costly medical expense, and the number one surgical cost center in the healthcare system. Read more>

For Back Pain, Steroid Shots No More Effective Than Placebo

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A randomized trial of steroid injections for back pain has shown that they are no more effective than a placebo.
Because the long-term benefits of surgery remain unproven and pain medicines often have serious side effects, doctors have increasingly turned to steroid injections to treat lumbosacral radiculopathy, a common cause of back pain. The condition stems from damage to the discs between the vertebrae that often leads to sciatica, numbness or pain in the legs. Read more

Epidural Steroids, Etanercept, or Saline in Subacute Sciatica, A Multicenter, Randomized Trial

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Authors: Steven P. Cohen, MD; Ronald L. White, MD; Connie Kurihara, RN; Thomas M. Larkin, MD; Audrey Chang, PhD; Scott R. Griffith, MD; Christopher Gilligan, MD; Ralph Larkin, PhD; Benny Morlando, RN; Paul F. Pasquina, MD; Tony L. Yaksh, PhD; and Conner Nguyen, MD

The objective of this study, published in the March issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, was to evaluate whether epidural steroids, etanercept, or saline better improves pain and function in adults with lumbosacral radiculopathy.

Researchers concluded that epidural steroid injections may provide modest short-term pain relief for some adults with lumbosacral radiculopathy, but larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm their benefits. Abstract and comments

CNBC Guest Blog – Jim Evanger: Good News, Bad News in Battle Over Health Care

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As the Supreme deiberates the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, business leaders across all industries, especially those who are health-care-focused, are considering how the various outcomes might affect their companies, customers, and employees.

Jim Evanger, President of Pure HealthyBack, recently shared his perspective as a guest blogger on www.cnbc.com.

The Supreme Court of the U.S. is undertaking one of its most controversial and far-reaching debates in many years with its deliberation over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, with health-care spending impacting almost 20 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. Like most other business people who run health-care-focused businesses, I am already thinking about what might happen to our company, Pure HealthyBack, once the Supreme Court has its say.

On one hand, if the Justices strike down the law and it is unable to go into effect, I expect to operate under the status quo until lawmakers figure out that as a country, we still cannot afford the status quo. At our company, we anticipate that there might be a “wait and see” attitude that permeates the medical industry again. This could slow decision making and cause us to have to work harder to gain the attention of leaders who may be reluctant to make decisions before they are clear about the next shoe to drop.

On the other hand, if the Court decides that the individual mandate (with some or all of the other provisions of the legislation) is constitutional and that the law shall go into effect and it’s full steam ahead, it is still far from clear how our country will afford this option, either. Certainly, we will be challenged as a nation to do more with less as more than 30 million uninsured Americans will gain coverage while our doctor base is shrinking. We expect an increased focus on cost containment and rationing.

The good news in this scenario for our company and other providers is that we may have access to more total patients who can afford our treatment through their new health-care benefits. The bad news is that we will be pressured to do more with less and our costs of maintaining the convenience factor for patients would rise.

Read the full blog>

The Effect of Lumbar Extension Training with and without Pelvic Stabilization on Lumbar Strength and Low Back Pain

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 This article in The Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation published by IOS Press discusses the effect of lumbar extension training with and without pelvic stabilization on lumbar strength and low back pain. For more information, or to order the article click here.  

Authors

Dave Smith1, Gary Bissell2, Stewart Bruce-Low3, Caroline Wakefield4

1Department of Exercise and Sport Science, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
2ProPhysio Spinal and Sport Injury Clinic, UK
3Centre for Health, Exercise and Sport Science, Southampton Solent University, UK
4Department of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Chester, UK

Abstract

Introduction: A dynamometer employing a stabilization procedure (lumbar extension machine, MedX, Ocala, FL) is effective in improving strength and reducing symptoms of low back pain (LBP), and researchers have hypothesized that this effectiveness is due to the pelvic stabilization. However, effects of the dynamometer with and without pelvic stabilization on LBP have not been compared: This was the aim of the present study.

Methods: Forty-two chronic LBP patients were randomly assigned to a lumbar extension training with pelvic stabilization group (STAB; n=15), a lumbar extension without pelvic stabilization group (NO-STAB; n=15) and a control group (n=12). STAB and NO-STAB participants completed one weekly session of dynamic variable resistance exercise (one set of 8–12 repetitions to fatigue) on the lumbar extension machine (with or without pelvic stabilization) for 12 weeks. Pre- and post-test measures of self-reported LBP (101-point visual analog scale; pre-test mean of 25), related disability (Oswestry disability index; pre-test mean of 34) and lumbar strength were taken.

Results: After the exercise program, the STAB group increased significantly in lumbar strength at all joint angles, and decreased significantly in visual analogue and Oswestry scores. However, there were no significant changes in these variables in the NO-STAB and control groups.

Discussion: Isolated lumbar extension exercise is very effective in reducing LBP in chronic patients. However, when the pelvis is not stabilized, otherwise identical exercises appear ineffective in reducing LBP.

New Rules Aim to Reduce Spine Surgery

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Biloine W. Young,  Orthopedics This Week

HealthPartners, the largest consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in the United States, has notified its members who are considering back surgery that they must first be evaluated by a physician who will focus on nonsurgical options before they can see a surgeon.

In a story first reported by the Minneapolis Star Tribune writer Jackie Crosby on January 5, Health Partners officials said the change in policy came about because of growing evidence that aggressive treatments may not always be the most effective treatment for low-back pain. They project that patients will be willing to choose treatments, other than surgery, once they receive information about the options available to them.

HealthPartners has identified 102 sites in Minnesota and Wisconsin where patients with back pain can meet with specialists in rehabilitation, occupational medicine and sports medicine.

“They are not the gatekeepers,” insisted Dr. Thomas Marr, HealthPartners’ medical director of clinical relations, who was quoted in the newspaper story. “Patients can still see a surgeon if they wish. But after this visit, they’ll be better informed about all of their options, and can make decisions more aligned with their own values.”

HealthPartners paid out more than $28.3 million on lumbar fusions and other spine surgeries in 2011. Had this new program, of first seeing a specialist for back pain before consulting a surgeon, been in place in 2010, about 8,800 out of the 1.36 million enrolled in HealthPartners insurance plans would have been eligible for the evaluations.

Surgeries dropped by 26 percent and orders for high-tech radiology fell by 12% after implementation. HealthPartners has been examining its treatment costs and patient outcomes associated with low-back pain since 2004.

HealthPartners is the top-ranked health plan in Minnesota for the seventh consecutive year and is the among the top 25 plans in the nation for the third consecutive year, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s Health Insurance Plan Rankings 2011-12.

 Source: Orthopedics This Week, January17, 2012

Acute Back and Neck Pain Management

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By  Thomas E. (Ted) Dreisinger, PhD, FACSM

The Pure Healthy Back (PHB) program contains elements that fit nicely into treatment of the acute back pain individual.  While the focus of the PHB program is directed to sub-acute, chronic individuals, PHB’s team understands and has successfully treated back and neck pain in each of the categories of the acute, subacute, and chronic patient.

With the exception of people that have acute back pain related a tumor, a fracture, or some systemic inflammatory problem, the vast majority of back pain patients fall into the category of mechanically induced pain. 

This means that the patient can be quickly assessed, even telephonically, by trained professionals, in order to recommend patients into the correct treatment pathway. 

Many of them do not need any further treatment with the exception of appropriate education to allow them control over potential future episodes of spinal pain.

The PHB program is unique in providing patient reported outcomes (PROs) in an easy to use web-based outcomes solution. This adds to the assurance that patients are accepting of outcomes assessment protocols and data pools.

Pure HealthyBack Appoints Jim Evanger as President; Leads Implementation of Enhanced ACO Focus

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Ponte Vedra/Jacksonville, FL–(Dec. 12, 2011) – Pure HealthyBack, Inc. (www.purehealthyback.com), announced the appointment of Jim Evanger, a veteran in the global healthcare industry, as the company’s President. Mr. Evanger is a seasoned veteran in the healthcare industry and an Entrepreneur Magazine Franchise 500 honoree, having carried out executive and sales operations leadership responsibilities at STERIS Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Merck & Co., Inc

 Pure HealthyBack is the only provider of non-surgical, evidence-based, solutions for the treatment of chronic back and neck pain.  Pure HealthyBack, Inc. targets integrated health systems, self-insured companies, and health plans. The company’s innovative solution is centered on three key components which include: evidence based treatment protocols, proprietary MedX medical strengthening equipment technology—which was developed by late Nautilus founder Arthur Jones, and operational excellence to meet program objectives.

 Pure HealthyBack’s solution strategy has already received notable validation throughout the medical community. MedX’s proprietary strengthening equipment will be the centerpiece component in a key study to be conducted by the University of South Florida School of Physical Therapy& Rehabilitation Sciences and the Department of Defense. The study will test the effects of a high-intensity strength training program that isolates and strengthens the lumbar extensor muscles for the Combat Medic Brigade at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Mr. Evanger has a notable and long-standing background in the healthcare industry, having served at STERIS Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Merck & Co., Inc. He will lead and execute the company’s enhanced business strategies and objectives, which are aligned with progressive Accountable Care Organization (ACO) measures.

 Measures for 2012 are based on a foundational goal of improving the quality of health care, all the while reducing associated costs. Pure HealthyBack’s business objectives are particularly in line with the following ACO laws, which are to go into effect in 2012:

  •  Linking Payment to Quality Outcomes,
  • Encouraging Integrated Health Systems, and
  • Reducing Paperwork and Administrative Costs.

“ACOs represent a tremendous opportunity for companies like Pure HealthyBack, which can deliver and guarantee clinical and financial outcomes,” explained Mr. Evanger.  “The incentives associated with ACO’s have never before been aligned whereby when the quality of care improves and the cost decreases, the health care provider actually shares in the savings. Case in point: because of the high incidences, chronic back and neck pain are one of the largest targets for ACO’s to address immediately.”