Researchers Find Shift Away From Surgery for Low-Back Disk Conditions

Treatment of injured workers who have low-back disk disorders is shifting away from surgery in many states, a trend that may be due to workers’ comp reforms, claims management and patient education, according to the Workers Compensation Research Institute. In a study of 18 states, the largest drop in surgical treatment of low-back disk cases was in California, with a 9.3% decrease, followed by Georgia, with an 8.6% drop. The decreases were seen in lost-time claims filed in 2014 compared to those filed in 2011, each at 36 months of experience. Florida, Michigan, Illinois, Indi...