Manual therapy versus advice to stay active for nonspecific back and/or neck pain: a cost-effectiveness analysis

Table 1 Prices for each health care intervention in the one-year follow-up of an RCT on MT versus ASA for working age persons with neck and/or low back pain. Price level 2005

Interventions	Price EUR	Price SEK	Interventions	Price EUR	Price SEK
MT	57	450	Bone density	127	990
Physician	179	1400	Gastroscopy	258	2010
Physiotherapist	64	500	Nerve blockade	285	2227
Chiropractor	48	375	Psychologist	139	1083
Massage therapy	51	400	Drugs, prescription
Medical investigation	75	591	Daily	3.28	25.6
Acupuncture	54	425	Sometimes	0.65	5.12
Oral physiology	256	2000	Drugs, no prescription
Herniated disc surgery	7965	62,040	Daily	3.63	28.3
Cortisone injection	179	1400	Sometimes	0.73	5.7
NMT* at student clinic	23	180	Herbal remedies
Neurological examination	128	1000	Daily	8.72	67.9
Pain clinic	159	1245	Sometimes	1.75	13.6

Costs were calculated from baseline until the one-year follow-up. The mean individual cost of care included in the RCT, and self-elected “other treatment” was lower for the index group (600 EUR) compared with the control group (862 EUR) (mean difference = − 262 EUR, 95% CI − 491 to − 33; p = 0.02). The costs for prescribed medication were also lower in the index group compared with the control group; 3 EUR in the index group and 6 EUR in the control group (mean difference = − 3 EUR, 95% CI − 4 to − 1; p = 0.001). One of the largest contributors to the costs of the groups was production loss due to sickness absence. In total, the index group had 847 sick leave days, and the control group 1395 sick leave days. The mean cost for sick leave days was also lower in the index group (533 EUR), compared with the control group (1037 EUR), mean difference = − 504 EUR, 95% CI − 1285 to 278; p = 0.21

ISSN: 2045-709X