Table 3.

Use of services and their costs associated with back pain in the two study groups at 12 months follow up

Variable	Intervention group (n=70)*	Control group (n=74)*	Difference (95% CI) (Student’s t test)
Health services
No of exercise classes:	70	0
Total cost (£25.20 per person per programme of 8 classes)	£1764	0
No of visits to general practitioner:	139	266
Total cost (£16 per visit)	£2224	£4256
No of visits to a physiotherapist:	65	146
Total cost (£18 per visit)	£1170	£2628
No of visits to a chiropractor or osteopath:	27	25
Total cost (£20 per visit)	£540	£500
No of visits to orthopaedic surgeon:	0	1
Total cost (£174 per visit)	0	£174
No of MRI investigations:	1	1
Total cost (£300 per visit)	£300	£300
No of x ray investigations:	4	3
Total cost (£20 per visit)	£80	£60
No of nights in hospital:	0	2
Total cost (£150 per night)	0	£300
Total health service related costs	£6078	£8218
Mean (SD) cost per patient	£86.83 (105.19)	£111.05 (205.11)	24.23 (−29.94 to 78.39) (P=0.38†)
Median (90% range) cost per patient	£41.20 (25.20-353.20)	0 (0-532.00)
Equipment (beds, stove modification, car seat)
No of pieces of equipment:	4	4
Total cost (item costs £10-800)	£2123	£2091
Days off work
Total No of days off work:	378	607
Total cost (£45 per day)‡	£17 010	£27 315
All costs (including equipment and days off work)
Total costs	£25 211	£37 624
Mean (SD) cost per patient	£360.15 (582.27)	£508.43 (1108.79)	148.28 (−145.92 to 442.48) (P=0.32§)
Median (90% range) cost per patient	£115.20 (25.20-1688.40)	£50.00 (0-2728.00)

MRI=magnetic resonance imaging. 

^*Based on 144 subjects without missing data on resource use or costs. 

^†Bootstrap comparison of means P=0.38, accelerated 95% CI corrected for bias (−22.00 to 81.90). 

^‡Based on gross domestic product capita per head 1996. 

^§Bootstrap comparison of means P=0.33, accelerated 95% CI corrected for bias (−89.78 to 506.14).