Injured At Work!
Many people seem to have misconceptions about their rights for chiropractic care if they are injured at work and they are looking for the care to be covered under WSIB (Workers Safety Insurance Board). It is the workers choice which form of health care they desire. It is not the employer or a doctor who has the first choice. For a worker to see a chiropractor, there is no referral needed, no permission that needs to be granted, it only needs to be the decision of the injured worker.
Chiropractic care has been covered by the WSIB since 1937 and in fact, chiropractic care of injured workers is fully covered by WSIB at no additional cost to the patient.
Among the most common on-the-job injuries is a spinal injury. As one expert has stated: “We are now facing an epidemic of lower back disability in all western states…”
There have been many studies showing the fact that workers under chiropractic care are returning to their previous health state quicker than with medical care, they have less time off work, they are in pain and disability less, and the cost to the health care system is greatly reduced.
A study from the University of Ottawa, called the Manga Report, showed that chiropractic care cost the health care system 10 times less than medical care for injuries to the lower back and that the people were returned to a healthier state much quicker.
A Florida study showed that from 10,000 cases (1985-86) patients under standard medical care, the patient was disabled for 59 days, and under chiropractic care, 39 days.
An Oregon study revealed that under medical care, 41% could return to work after one week but under chiropractic care, 82% were able to return to work after one week.
There have been many similar studies done with similar results. It is now extremely obvious that chiropractic care needs to be considered as a first choice of care in many work injuries.
As put by Dr. Kirkaldy-Willis: “Scientific studies show that doctors of chiropractic relieve chronic and severe pain, both immediate and long term, in one half the time it takes medical physicians not trained in chiropractic procedures…controlled empirical studies can and have been conducted. There are now in excess of 60 scientific studies which demonstrate the value of spinal adjustments… a most effective and cost-effective form of treatment for dysfunctional problems in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.”