CHOOSING WISELY (1) – WHAT TO DO ABOUT BACK PAIN
Healthcare professions are establishing recommendations for practitioners to adhere to when dispensing health care with hopes to stimulate conversations between patients and
their healthcare providers and among healthcare providers themselves. Your
Oxford chiropractor at Satterwhite Chiropractic is always ready for such a
conversation about Oxford back pain. Back pain is a big
health concern affecting 80% of us in
Oxford at some point in life. Back pain is managed by many kinds of physicians in many kinds
of specialist societies. Their societal recommendations are similar
regarding imaging (Do not perform within
the first six weeks of pain unless there are “red
flags.”), testing non-surgical care ahead of
imaging and/or referring for back surgery, and moving
the patient care from passive care to active care. More
specifically, the American Academy of Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation recommends not ordering repeat epidural steroid
injections without checking for the response to
the latter one and not prescribing opioid drugs for acute disabling
low back pain without assessment and a test of other
alternatives. (2) The American Chiropractic Association recommends not ordering
repeat imaging to monitor progress of care,
not getting spinal imaging for acute low back pain in the first
6 weeks of pain unless red flags are present,
and staying away from long term use of passive care
but instead move the patient to active care. (3) The American
College of Emergency Room Physicians recommends avoiding
lumbar spine imaging in non-traumatic back pain except if 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 advocating bed rest for
more than 48 hours for low back pain, not ordering EMG studies to determine the cause of spine pain, and not ordering
advanced spinal imaging (ex MRI) in 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 regardless of
non-surgical treatment. (7) It’s up to you, the Oxford 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 start a conversation
with your Oxford chiropractor, your Oxford back pain specialist, at Satterwhite Chiropractic as you choose the type of care suitable for your Oxford
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 Oxford Back Pain
Common Oxford non-surgical interventions for
Oxford 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 Oxford back surgery is spinal
manipulation (10) of which 90% (11) is done 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 importance as pain decreases – matches
Choosing Wisely recommendations as it works toward 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 in absence of red
flags. Bring your Oxford back pain to your Oxford chiropractor’s
office! Make it your first Oxford back pain
relief healthcare stop!
CONTACT Satterwhite Chiropractic
Schedule your next Oxford chiropractic
visit today. Satterwhite Chiropractic looks forward to
helping you choose the next best step toward back pain relief.
Thank you for allowing to take care for
you, your family, and friends!