Burlington and Hamilton Chiropractic Healthy News - March 2018

Every profession is setting forth recommendations for practitioners to abide by when providing health care in hopes of opening conversations between patients and their healthcare providers and among healthcare providers themselves. Your Burlington and Hamilton chiropractor at Spinal Care Clinic is always ready for such a conversation about Burlington and Hamilton back pain. Back pain is a big health concern upsetting 80% of us in Burlington and Hamilton at some point in life. Back pain is dealt with by many types of physicians in many types of specialist societies. Their societal recommendations are related regarding imaging (Don’t do in the first six weeks of pain except if there are “red flags.”), attempting non-surgical care ahead of 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 last one and not prescribing opioid drugs for acute disabling low back pain without evaluation 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 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 using EMG studies to figure out the cause of spine pain, and not ordering advanced spinal imaging (ex MRI) within the first six weeks of non-specific acute low back pain with no red flags. (6) The Danish Health Authority recommends not sending 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 is up to you, the Burlington and Hamilton back pain patient or concerned loved one, to choose wisely the course of care for back pain relief. Consider these professions’ recommendations for back pain care to guide a conversation with your Burlington and Hamilton chiropractor, your Burlington and Hamilton back pain specialist, at Spinal Care Clinic as you decide on the type of care appropriate for your Burlington and Hamilton back pain relief.

 

TIP OF THE MONTH: Try Non-Surgical Interventions for Burlington and Hamilton Back Pain

Common Burlington and Hamilton non-surgical interventions for Burlington and Hamilton 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 Burlington and Hamilton 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 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 without red flags. Bring your Burlington and Hamilton back pain to your Burlington and Hamilton chiropractor’s office! Make it your first Burlington and Hamilton back pain relief healthcare stop!