CHOOSING WISELY (1) – WHAT TO DO ABOUT BACK PAIN
Healthcare professions are establishing recommendations for practitioners to abide
by when dispensing health care in
hopes of opening conversations between patients and
their healthcare providers and among healthcare providers themselves. Your
Sitka chiropractor at Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka is always ready for such a
conversation about Sitka back pain. Back pain is a huge
health concern distressing 80% of us in
Sitka at some point in life. Back pain is managed by many kinds of physicians in many types
of specialist societies. Their societal recommendations are related
concerning imaging (Do not do in
the first six weeks of pain except if there are “red
flags.”), trying non-surgical care before
imaging and/or referring for back surgery, and moving
the patient care from passive to active care. For example, the American Academy of Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation recommends not ordering repeat epidural steroid
injections without evaluating the reaction to
the latter one and not prescribing opioid drugs for acute disabling
low back pain without evaluation and a test of other
alternatives. (2) The American Chiropractic Association recommends not doing
repeat imaging to monitor progress of care,
not getting spinal imaging for acute low back pain in the first
6 weeks of pain unless there are red flags,
and avoiding long term usage of passive care
but instead move the patient to active care. (3) The American
College of Emergency Room Physicians recommends sidestepping
lumbar spine imaging in non-traumatic back pain unless there are
severe or progressive neurological deficits or a suspicion of an underlying issue.
(4) The American College of Physicians recommends not getting
imaging studies in patients with non-specific low back pain. (5) The North
American Spine Society recommends not suggesting bed rest for
more than 48 hours for low back pain, not using EMG studies to determine the cause of spine pain, and not getting
advanced spinal imaging (ex MRI) within the first 6 weeks of
non-specific acute low back pain with no red flags. (6)
The Danish Health Authority recommends not referring patients for
back surgery for a lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy unless the severe and debilitating back pain continues
for 12 weeks in spite of
non-surgical treatment. (7) It’s up to you, the Sitka back
pain patient or concerned loved one, to choose wisely the path of
care for back pain relief. Consider these professions’
recommendations for back pain care to guide a conversation
with your Sitka chiropractor, your Sitka back pain specialist, at Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka as you decide
on the type of care appropriate for your Sitka
back pain relief.
Listen to this PODCAST
from the Back Doctors' Podcast series about two cases of back pain helped with Cox Technic, one with imaging and all sorts of care and the second case without any imaging studies.
TIP OF THE MONTH: Try Non-Surgical Interventions for Sitka Back Pain
Common Sitka non-surgical interventions for
Sitka back pain relief are pain medications, exercise, manual
manipulation, massage, and heat/ice. (8, 9) Included in the top non-surgical
interventions to try before Sitka back surgery is spinal
manipulation (10) of which 90% (11) is delivered by
chiropractors. The Cox Technic System of Spine Care – spinal manipulation with
exercise, nutrition and passive care for pain and inflammation reduction with more
active care emphasis as pain decreases – fits
Choosing Wisely recommendations as it seeks 50% relief of
pain within 30 days of care (which is more than the 30% or greater improvement
in self-reported pain and function sought by medicine [12])
before advanced imaging or surgical referral without red
flags. Bring your Sitka back pain to your Sitka chiropractor’s
office! Make it your first Sitka back pain
relief healthcare stop!
"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the
DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by
Dr. James M. Cox I."