The use of opioid pain medication for pain has
been a familiar treatment. Its use is a little too common as medicine today is even attempting to slow its
prescription. For back surgery patients, it’s been quite common,
both before and/or after back surgery. Though today the use of opioids is being
less encouraged, many back pain sufferers still receive opioid prescriptions from their healthcare providers. Spinal Care Clinic
would love to be the first healthcare provider Burlington and Hamilton
back pain and neck pain patients visit and truly welcome
the opportunity to take care of the post-surgical continued pain
patients - with or without opioid prescriptions - who come to us with the same
or returned pain in the same spinal area where they had
surgery. We’re have the skills to
help.
BACK SURGERY OUTCOME PREDICTORS: # of Rx Prescribers and #
of Rx Prescriptions
Very few hurry into back surgery. Back pain sufferers
often look for relief from various healthcare
providers before surgery is considered and/or scheduled. 66.9%
of patients in a retrospective study of patients who underwent
single-level fusion surgeries employed one or less opioid prescription
prescribers before surgery while 33.1% retained more than
one opioid prescribers. The more pre-surgical opioid prescribers in a back surgery
patient’s case was a predictor of greater improvement of
post-surgical back pain. The more pre-surgical opioid prescriptions a patient had
was a predictor for poorer surgical outcomes including lower
improvement in back VAS pain scores, leg VAS pain scores, Oswestry Disability
Index scores, and for more post-surgical opioid prescriptions, prescribers, and
morphine milligram equivalents. An attention-getting and
seemingly side note to the study was that if a nonoperative
spine provider was involved in the case, a better improvement in leg pain VAS scores was seen. (1)
Chiropractic is a profession of nonoperative spine providers! We chiropractors
are ready and well-trained to help manage
back pain before and after surgery and give patients an opportunity
to lower their opioid use for pain management.
CHIROPRACTIC POST-SURGICAL CARE AND OPIOID USE
For patients who went through back surgery
and find that they have the same pain in the back area that the surgery was supposed to fix, the return of pain
can be frustrating. Some got back the medical
model and receive new pain medication prescriptions or extended
prescriptions for the post-surgery meds. Others seek chiropractic
care. A recent study of such patients who sought chiropractic
care with chiropractors who are certified in Cox® Technic spinal manipulation (manual
spinal decompression manipulation) stated that of the 59 patients
in the study, 11 came into the study utilizing
opioid medications. Eight of them self-reported that they reduced
or discontinued their use. Three said they maintained
their use. (2) This holds hope for many post-surgical continued
pain patients that not having to take pain meds as the only way
to pain relief may be possible. Spinal Care Clinic is Burlington and Hamilton’s post-surgical
back pain provider to consult for Cox® Technic treatment.
CONTACT Spinal Care Clinic
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Marc Baker on The Back
Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he shares his
use of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management in delivering relief
for a military veteran with back pain after back surgery.
Make your Burlington and Hamilton chiropractic
appointment soon. If you’ve had
back surgery, currently taking pain meds, opioids,
or not, we look forward to working with you.