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Comparison Of Auburn Back Pain Relief Via Opioid Or Spinal Manipulation

“What should I do about my back pain? It’s been going on for so long.”

Sound familiar? Sure, it does! Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. knows  Auburn back pain patients wrestle with this question. There are a variety of options – rest, exercise, meds, manipulation, chiropractic, medicine, yoga, acupuncture, surgery, etc. – which makes it hard to decide. Recent research has looked at the cost, safety, and risk of treatment escalation for patients who choose spinal manipulation first compared with those who choose opioid analgesic treatment initially for their chronic low back pain. The results are thought-provoking.

COSTS OF OPIOID VS SMT FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN MEDICARE PATIENTS

Chronic low back pain is a costly condition, but just how costly is it? A review of Medicare health spendings for long-term care of chronic low back pain assessed the costs of opioid analgesic treatment versus those for spinal manipulation therapy. There were 28,160 participants aged 65-84 years old. 77% started with opioid therapy for their chronic low back pain. 23% began with SMT. The long-term costs for opioid-therapy patients were 58% lower, but long-term overall healthcare expenditures were 1.87 times higher for those same opioid patients. (1) Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. follows a system of Auburn chiropractic treatment frequency guided by the 50% Rule looking for 50% relief of pain within 30 days with more visits initially and less as the pain decreases.

SAFETY OF OPIOIDS VS SMT FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN MEDICARE PATIENTS

Cost is one thing. What about safety? An analysis of patient files of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 to 84 with chronic low back pain for 5 years studied the long-term safety of two usual approaches to chronic low back pain: opioid analgesic therapy and spinal manipulation therapy. The researchers considered a variety of patient records: patients who only underwent spinal manipulation, only received opioids, started with opioids then had spinal manipulation, and started with spinal manipulation then supplemented with opioids. What did they discover? The risk of adverse drug events was quite a bit higher – 42 times higher - for patients who began with opioid therapy first for their chronic back pain than those who started with spinal manipulation. (2) Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. utilizes the well research-documented, safe, gentle protocols of Cox® Technic.

ESCALATION OF CARE RISK FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN MEDICARE PATIENTS

Research documents another important factor in back pain treatment: how well does a treatment keep a patient from having to undergo more complex treatment? A third review of Medicare patient data looked at escalation of care risk – hospital stays, emergency room visits, imaging, back surgery, pain med interventions, and other types of encounters for potential complications of chronic low back pain – in long-term chronic low back pain care patients who started with opioid analgesic therapy or spinal manipulation therapy. Commencing care with spinal manipulation therapy was linked to lower rates of escalation of care. The rate of escalated care encounters was 2.5 times greatear for opioid care patients. (3) The use of Cox® Technic at Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. minimizes the need for escalated care while carefully monitoring each patient for indications that such may be helpful or needed.

CONTACT Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C.

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Nike Taylor on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she discusses treatment of chronic low back pain with the Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction System of Spinal Pain Management.

Schedule your Auburn chiropractic appointment today. Whether the answer to the question of “what should I do about my back pain?” was opioid treatment or other care, spinal manipulation at Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. may well be your next (or your first if you are just beginning the search for help) treatment that will get you the back pain relief you are seeking in a cost-effective, safe way. 

 
Dr. Le's Chiropractic & Wellness, L.L.C. shares new comparison studies of the safety, cost, and effectiveness in reducing the risk of further care of chronic low back pain: opioid vs spinal manipulation treatments. 
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"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."