Medical utilization trends were the subject of a presentation this morning. Here are some of the highlights which are based on research on back and neck injuries...

- use of MRI increased 11-14 points for non-specific back pain cases from 1998 - 2003.
- 40 pct of these cases had MRIs in 2003.
- the surgery rate for disc problems was stable over that period, although there was a shift in location with more performed in outpatient settings
- the typical back case received 4-7 more physical medicine visits over the 5 year period, driven almost entirely by trends in CA and TX