CHOOSING WISELY (1) – WHAT TO DO ABOUT BACK PAIN
Healthcare professions are establishing recommendations for practitioners to follow when dispensing health care with hopes to stimulate conversations between patients and
their healthcare providers and among healthcare providers themselves. Your
Severna Park chiropractor at Back And Neck Care Center is always ready for such a
conversation about Severna Park back pain. Back pain is a big
health concern affecting 80% of us in
Severna Park at some point in life. Back pain is handled by many types of physicians in many types
of specialist societies. Their societal recommendations are similar
concerning imaging (Don’t order in
the first 6 weeks of pain unless there are “red
flags.”), trying non-surgical care before
imaging and/or referring for back surgery, and shifting
the patient care from passive care to active care. For example, the American Academy of Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation recommends not ordering repeat epidural steroid
injections without evaluating the response to
the latter one and not prescribing opioid drugs for acute disabling
low back pain without assessment and a trial of other
alternatives. (2) The American Chiropractic Association recommends not ordering
repeat imaging to monitor progress of care,
not obtaining spinal imaging for acute low back pain in the first
6 weeks of pain unless there are red flags,
and avoiding long term use of passive care
but instead shift the patient to active care. (3) The American
College of Emergency Room Physicians recommends sidestepping
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 ordering
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 establish the cause of spine pain, and not doing
advanced spinal imaging (ex MRI) within the first 6 weeks of
non-specific acute low back pain devoid of red flags. (6)
The Danish Health Authority recommends not sending patients for
back surgery for a lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy except
if the severe and debilitating back pain persists
for 12 weeks notwithstanding
non-surgical treatment. (7) It’s up to you, the Severna Park back
pain patient or concerned loved one, to choose wisely the path of
care for back pain relief. Use these professions’
recommendations for back pain care to start a conversation
with your Severna Park chiropractor, your Severna Park back pain specialist, at Back And Neck Care Center as you decide
on the type of care appropriate for your Severna Park
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 Severna Park Back Pain
Common Severna Park non-surgical interventions for
Severna Park 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 Severna Park 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 emphasis as pain reduces – matches
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 pursued by medicine [12])
before advanced imaging or surgical referral without red
flags. Bring your Severna Park back pain to Back And Neck Care Center! Make it your first Severna Park 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."