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
Auburn chiropractor at Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. is always ready for such a
conversation about Auburn back pain. Back pain is a huge
health issue affecting 80% of us in
Auburn at some point in life. Back pain is dealt
with by many kinds of physicians in many kinds
of professional societies. Their societal recommendations are similar
concerning imaging (Do not do within
the first 6 weeks of pain except if there are “red
flags.”), attempting non-surgical care ahead of
imaging and/or referring for back surgery, and progressing
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 checking for the response to
the last 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 see how the patient is responding,
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 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 condition.
(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 advocating bed rest for
more than 48 hours for low back pain, not ordering EMG studies to establish the cause of spine pain, and not ordering
advanced spinal imaging (ex MRI) within the first 6 weeks of
non-specific acute low back pain without 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 is up to you, the Auburn 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 Auburn chiropractor, your Auburn back pain specialist, at Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. as you decide
on the type of care suitable for your Auburn
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 Auburn Back Pain
Common Auburn non-surgical interventions for
Auburn 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 Auburn 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 importance 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 Auburn back pain to your Auburn chiropractor’s
office! Make it your first Auburn back pain
relief healthcare stop!
CONTACT Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C.
Schedule your next Auburn chiropractic
appointment today. Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. looks forward to
helping you choose the next best step toward back pain relief.
Thank you for letting us care for
you, your family, and friends!