BACKGROUND: Neck and @entity1643 are leading causes of morbidity and health care utilization. However, little is known about the characteristics that differentiate those who seek from those who do not seek health care for their @entity158 . OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to: 1) describe health care utilization for neck and back @entity158 ; 2) determine the characteristics of individuals seeking health care for neck and back @entity158 ; and 3) identify the characteristics of @entity1 who consult medical doctors, chiropractors, or both. DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional mailed survey. SUBJECTS: Subjects were randomly selected adults from the Saskatchewan Health Insurance and Registration File. MEASURES: Demographic, socio-economic, general health, comorbidity, health-related-quality-of-life, @entity158 severity and health care utilization data were collected. The main outcome was whether subjects with prevalent neck or @entity1643 visited a health care provider in the previous month. RESULTS: Twenty-five percent of individuals with neck or @entity1643 visited a health care provider. Seeking health care was associated with @entity615 , @entity74 , @entity158 and worse physical-role-functioning. Compared with medical @entity1 , fewer chiropractic @entity1 lived in rural areas or reported @entity625 , but they reported better social and physical functioning. More @entity1 consulting both providers reported @entity615 . CONCLUSIONS: Individuals seeking care for @entity615 have worse health status than those who do not seek care. @entity1 consulting chiropractors alone report fewer comorbidities and are less limited in their activities than those consulting medical doctors.

The treatment of neck and XXXX : who seeks care? who goes where?

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients'] @entity1643 :: ('MESH:D017116', 'Disease') :: ['low back pain'] @entity625 :: ('MESH:D001168', 'Disease') :: ['arthritis'] @entity615 :: ('MESH:D001416', 'Disease') :: ['neck or back pain', 'disabling neck or back pain'] @entity74 :: ('MESH:D030342', 'Disease') :: ['digestive disorders'] @entity158 :: ('MESH:D010146', 'Disease') :: ['pain', 'worse bodily pain']
@entity1643 :: (MESH:D017116,Disease) :: ['low back pain']
