Annals of internal medicine
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The United States has the most expensive health care system in the world, with per capita health expenditures far above those of any other nation. For many years, U. S. health care expenditures have been growing above the overall rate of inflation in the economy. ⋯ Several explanations have been offered for high and rising health care costs. These include the perspectives that high and rising costs are created by forces external to the health system, by the weakness of a competitive free market within the health system, by the rapid diffusion of new technologies, by excessive costs of administering the health system, by the absence of strong cost-containment measures, and by undue market power of health care providers. This article, the first in a 4-part series, discusses 3 perspectives on health care: 1) Are high and rising health care costs a serious problem? 2) Are rising costs explained by factors outside the health care system? 3) Does the absence of a free market in health care explain why costs are high and rising? The remaining 3 articles in this series address other perspectives on health care costs.
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Exercise therapy encompasses a heterogeneous group of interventions. There continues to be uncertainty about the most effective exercise approach in chronic low back pain. ⋯ Exercise therapy that consists of individually designed programs, including stretching or strengthening, and is delivered with supervision may improve pain and function in chronic nonspecific low back pain. Strategies should be used to encourage adherence. Future studies should test this multivariable model and further assess specific patient-level characteristics and exercise types.