AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Armed with the knowledge that
low back pain is a prevalent affliction with a hefty price tag, a major
automotive company has taken a unique approach to alleviate back pain among
its employees.
The program is 10 times more effective and less costly than conventional
physical therapy at eliminating back pain and is expected to translate into
significant healthcare expense savings.
More than half (55%) of employees who received the intervention eliminated
their chronic back pain, compared to 0% of controls at program completion.
Intervention participants also experienced significant reductions in
disability, stress, and depressive symptoms, as well as improvement in sleep.
In comparison, conventional physical therapy produced only five percent
elimination of chronic back pain in a separate clinical trial with a similar
population.
These findings offer a glimmer of hope after a study published in the
Journal of the American Medical Association reported that, despite all the
money that has been spent by Americans on back and neck pain relief, pain
levels haven't improved.
In 2007, Chrysler LLC partnered with Health Alliance Plan (HAP), a
Detroit-based nonprofit health plan, and the Henry Ford Medical Group (HFMG)
provider network to pilot the "We've Got Your Back" program at Chrysler's
Auburn Hills headquarters. This holistic approach utilizes complementary and
alternative medicine in a group model in the convenience of the workplace.
Using modalities such as group feedback, guided relaxation and somatic
movement reduction (teaching the brain to maintain control of the nerve and
muscle system and release over-contracted muscles), the program treats a large
number of individuals at one time while minimizing time missed from work.
Chrysler recruited more than 200 employees meeting eligibility criteria to
participate in the pilot program. Employees were randomized to intervention or
untreated control groups and their health status was measured at the start,
middle and end of the five-month project period.
HAP and HFMG officials believe this innovative group model has great
potential for growth throughout Southeast Michigan workforces and beyond. HAP
has developed tools to allow for easy implementation, tailoring, and adapting
in any worksite setting.
As a result of the successful pilot, Chrysler will continue to offer the
program to its employees and will also pilot a separate program using similar
complementary and alternative medical techniques to reduce stress. Other
southeast Michigan companies have also jumped at the opportunity to bring the
program to their employees. The 17,000-employee Henry Ford Health System
launched an expanded version of the program in January 2008.
According to the authors of the JAMA study, the U.S. spent nearly $86
billion on treatment of back and neck problems in 2005, an increase of 65
percent from 1997, after adjusting for inflation. Individuals with spine
problems spent over $2,500 more on medical care in 2005 than those without
spine problems.
About HAP
Headquartered in Detroit, Health Alliance Plan is a nonprofit health plan
serving more than 540,000 members and 2,000 employer groups. HAP is a
subsidiary of the Henry Ford Health System and serves companies of all sizes
through the flagship HMO, PPOs, Medicare Advantage plans, experience-rated,
fully insured and self-funded products, and consumer-driven health plans with
compatible health savings accounts. The National Committee for Quality
Assurance awarded HAP's commercial HMO and HAP Senior Plus, its Medicare
Advantage HMO, Excellent Accreditation.
About Chrysler
Chrysler LLC, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., produces Chrysler,
Jeep, Dodge and Mopar(R) brand vehicles and products. Its product lineup
features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the
Chrysler 300, Jeep Wrangler and Dodge Charger. The Company sells and services
vehicles in more than 125 countries around the world. The operations outside
North America have been experiencing year-over-year sales increases since
2004, with a record number of vehicles sold in 2007. The Chrysler Foundation -
- the primary source of charitable grants made by Chrysler -- annually
supports hundreds of charitable organizations with an emphasis on community
growth and enrichment, education, arts and culture, public policy, youth
development and disaster relief programs throughout the United States and,
increasingly, the world. Chrysler is a unit of Cerberus Capital Management.
About Henry Ford Medical Group
The Henry Ford Medical Group is one of the nation's largest group
practices, with 1,000 physicians and researchers in 40 specialties who staff
Henry Ford Hospital and 25 Henry Ford medical centers. Henry Ford's 25 medical
centers are located in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties. The
Medical Group is a national leader in using e-Prescribing, an innovative
electronic computer program that allows physicians to write prescriptions from
a personal computer or wireless device and send them directly to a pharmacy.
It has improved patient safety, increase generic medication rates, and reduce
costs for the patient and health system. E-visits, another unique program,
allows patients to communicate with their physician via e-mail.
SOURCE Henry Ford Medical Group
Tiffany Baker, Public Relations Specialist of Health Alliance Plan,
+1-248-443-1072, tbaker3@hap.org
