Guidelines

Management of Neck Pain and Associated Disorders

By Frank M. Painter|March 23, 2016|Guidelines, Neck Pain, Whiplash|

Management of Neck Pain and Associated Disorders: A Clinical Practice Guideline from the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration

SOURCE: Eur Spine J. 2016 (Mar 16) [Epub]

Côté P, Wong JJ, Sutton D, Shearer HM, Mior S et. al.

Canada Research Chair in
Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation,
University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT),
2000 Simcoe Street North,
Oshawa, ON, L1H 7L7, Canada.

PURPOSE: To develop an evidence-based guideline for the management of grades I-III neck pain and associated disorders (NAD).

METHODS: This guideline is based on recent systematic reviews of high-quality studies. A multidisciplinary expert panel considered the evidence of effectiveness, safety, cost-effectiveness, societal and ethical values, and patient experiences (obtained from qualitative research) when formulating recommendations. Target audience includes clinicians; target population is adults with grades I-III NAD <6 months duration.

RECOMMENDATION 1: Clinicians should rule out major structural or other pathologies as the cause of NAD. Once major pathology has been ruled out, clinicians should classify NAD as grade I, II, or III.

RECOMMENDATION 2: Clinicians should assess prognostic factors for delayed recovery from NAD.

RECOMMENDATION 3: Clinicians should educate and reassure patients about the benign and self-limited nature of the typical course of NAD grades I-III and the importance of maintaining activity and movement. Patients with worsening symptoms and those who develop new physical or psychological symptoms should be referred to a physician for further evaluation at any time during their care.

RECOMMENDATION 4: For NAD grades I-II ≤3 months duration, clinicians may consider structured patient education in combination with: range of motion exercise, multimodal care (range of motion exercise with manipulation or mobilization), or muscle relaxants. In view of evidence of no effectiveness, clinicians should not offer structured patient education alone, strain-counterstrain therapy, relaxation massage, cervical collar, electroacupuncture, electrotherapy, or clinic-based heat.

RECOMMENDATION 5: For NAD grades I-II >3 months duration, clinicians may consider structured patient education in combination with: range of motion and strengthening exercises, qigong, yoga, multimodal care (exercise with manipulation or mobilization), clinical massage, low-level laser therapy, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. In view of evidence of no effectiveness, clinicians should not offer strengthening exercises alone, strain-counterstrain therapy, relaxation massage, relaxation therapy for pain or disability, electrotherapy, shortwave diathermy, clinic-based heat, electroacupuncture, or botulinum toxin injections.

RECOMMENDATION 6: For NAD grade III ≤3 months duration, clinicians may consider supervised strengthening exercises in addition to structured patient education. In view of evidence of no effectiveness, clinicians should not offer structured patient education alone, cervical collar, low-level laser therapy, or traction.

RECOMMENDATION 7: For NAD grade III >3 months duration, clinicians should not offer a cervical collar. Patients who continue to experience neurological signs and disability more than 3 months after injury should be referred to a physician for investigation and management.

RECOMMENDATION 8: Clinicians should reassess the patient at every visit to determine if additional care is necessary, the condition is worsening, or the patient has recovered. Patients reporting significant recovery should be discharged.

There are more articles like this @ our:

Practice Guidelines Page and the:

Chronic Neck Pain and Chiropractic Page

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Adherence to Clinical Practice Guidelines Among Three Primary Contact Professions

By Frank M. Painter|September 5, 2014|Chiropractic Care, Clinical Decision-making, Evidence-based Medicine, Guidelines|

Adherence to Clinical Practice Guidelines Among Three Primary Contact Professions: A Best Evidence Synthesis of the Literature for the Management of Acute and Subacute Low Back Pain

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: J Can Chiropr Assoc 2014 (Sept); 58(3): 220–237

Lyndon G. Amorin-Woods, B.App.Sci (Chiropractic)
Randy W. Beck, BSc (Hons), DC, PhD, DACNB, FAAFN, FACFN, Gregory F. Parkin-Smith, MTech(Chiro), MBBS, MSc, DrHC, James Lougheed, BA (Hons), Alexandra P. Bremner, BSc (Hons), DipEd, GradDipAppStats, PhD

Senior Clinical Supervisor, School of Health Professions
Murdoch University
Enrolled student, Master of Public Health
School of Population Health Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
The University of Western Australia

Aim: To determine adherence to clinical practice guidelines in the medical, physiotherapy and chiropractic professions for acute and subacute mechanical low back pain through best-evidence synthesis of the healthcare literature.

Methods: A structured best-evidence synthesis of the relevant literature through a literature search of relevant databases for peer-reviewed papers on adherence to clinical practice guidelines from 1995 to 2013. Inclusion of papers was based on selection criteria and appraisal by two reviewers who independently applied a modified Downs & Black appraisal tool. The appraised papers were summarized in tabular form and analysed by the authors.

Results: The literature search retrieved 23 potentially relevant papers that were evaluated for methodological quality, of which 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. The main finding was that no profession in the study consistently attained an overall high concordance rating. Of the three professions examined, 73% of chiropractors adhered to current clinical practice guidelines, followed by physiotherapists (62%) and then medical practitioners (52%).

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Practice Guidelines Page and the:

Evidence-based Practice Page

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The Nordic Maintenance Care Program: The Clinical Use of Identified Indications for Preventive Care

By Frank M. Painter|March 7, 2013|Chiropractic Care, Guidelines, Low Back Pain, Maintenance Care|

The Nordic Maintenance Care Program: The Clinical Use of Identified Indications for Preventive Care

The Chiro.Org Blog

Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2013 (Mar 6); 21: 10

Iben Axén and Lennart Bodin

Intervention & Implementation Research, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 13, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden

Background Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent condition and has been found to be recurrent and persistent in a majority of cases. Chiropractors have a preventive strategy, maintenance care (MC), aimed towards minimizing recurrence and progression of such conditions. The indications for recommending MC have been identified in the Nordic countries from hypothetical cases. This study aims to investigate whether these indications are indeed used in the clinical encounter.

Methods Data were collected in a multi-center observational study in which patients consulted a chiropractor for their non-specific LBP. Patient baseline information was a) previous duration of the LBP, b) the presence of previous episodes of LBP and c) early improvement with treatment. The chiropractors were asked if they deemed each individual patient an MC candidate. Logistic regression analyses (uni– and multi-level) were used to investigate the association of the patient variables with the chiropractor’s decision.

Results The results showed that “previous episodes” with LBP was the strongest predictor for recommending MC, and that the presence of all predictors strengthens the frequency of this recommendation. However, there was considerable heterogeneity among the participating chiropractors concerning the recommendation of MC.

Conclusions The study largely confirms the clinical use of the previously identified indications for recommending MC for recurrent and persistent LBP. Previous episodes of LBP was the strongest indicator.

There are many similar studies in our new

Maintenance Care, Wellness and Chiropractic Page

From the Full-Text Article:

Background

In the past few decades, the prevalence of low back pain, LBP, has been found to be extremely high [1] and the resulting costs of the condition are substantial [2] . Upon further scrutiny, the condition has been found to be recurrent in most cases and persistent in some [3-5] . These facts invite preventive approaches, both from a personal and societal perspective. Secondary prevention, to minimize the recurrences or the impact of episodic LBP, and tertiary prevention, to minimize the effects of persistent LBP, seem warranted.

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New Oregon LBP Guidelines: Try Chiropractic First

By Frank M. Painter|December 17, 2012|Chiropractic Care, Guidelines, Low Back Pain|

New Oregon LBP Guidelines: Try Chiropractic First

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: Dynamic Chiropractic

By Vern Saboe, DC, DACAN, DABFP, FACO

Lobbyist, Oregon Chiropractic Association

The new State of Oregon Evidence-Based Clinical Guidelines for the Evaluation and Management of Low Back Pain recommends spinal manipulation as the only nonpharmacological treatment for acute lower back pain. The guidelines, which have been adopted by the Oregon Health Authority, are a collaborative effort between the Center for Evidence-Based Practice, Oregon Corporation for Health Care Quality, Oregon Health and Sciences University’s Center for Evidence-based Policy, and the new Oregon Health Evidence Review Commission.

The Oregon Chiropractic Association (OCA) repeatedly gave written and oral testimony that the original draft guidelines placed too much emphasis on drugs and surgery. A close review of the original algorithm, “Management of Low Back Pain (LBP) (Image 2), relative to “#23 Signs or symptoms of radiculopathy or spinal stenosis,” reveals this. For example, if subsequent special imaging (MRI) revealed concordant nerve root impingement or spinal stenosis (#25), the original draft algorithm led the clinician into a surgical or other invasive procedure “dead end,” meaning there was no contingency for conservative chiropractic treatment (#26).

Image 2 (above)
—> Is Now Discontinued

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When Research Challenges Our Assumptions

By Frank M. Painter|September 8, 2012|Chiropractic Care, Evidence-based Medicine, Guidelines, Health Care Reform, Health Promotion|

When Research Challenges Our Assumptions

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: ACA News ~ Sept 2012

By Daniel Redwood

When new research, research reviews or practice guidelines support our current beliefs and practices, enthusiasm comes easily. When the 2007 medical practice guidelines on low back pain (LBP) jointly prepared by the American Pain Society and the American College of Physicians recognized spinal manipulation as the only non-pharmacologic method providing “proven benefits” for acute LBP and as one of several methods (including exercise, rehabilitation, acupuncture and yoga) proven effective for chronic LBP, the American Chiropractic Association and doctors of chiropractic (DCs) everywhere welcomed this as a long-overdue recognition of the value of our primary treatment methods.

But when research challenges our assumptions, our responses are understandably mixed. Such findings, if confirmed in multiple studies, may create pressure to change our practice patterns or threaten reimbursement from insurance companies. Like members of other health professions, DCs do not find such developments pleasant. How we and members of other health professions respond to such research says a great deal about who we are, how fully we practice what we preach, and the depth of our commitment to providing the best possible care to our patients. (more…)

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The First Domino: Chiropractic Before Spinal Surgery for Chronic Low Back Pain

By Frank M. Painter|May 17, 2012|Chiropractic Care, Evidence-based Medicine, Guidelines, Health Care Reform, Low Back Pain, Rehabilitation|

The First Domino:
Chiropractic Before Spinal Surgery for Chronic Low Back Pain

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: Dynamic Chiropractic

By Peter W. Crownfield

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Health Plan mandates conservative care before even considering surgery for chronic Low Back Pain cases.

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Health Plan, a health maintenance organization affiliated with the university’s School of Medicine, has adopted landmark guidelines for the management of chronic low back pain.

As of Jan. 1, 2012, candidates for spine surgery must receive “prior authorization to determine medical necessity,” which includes verification that the patient has “tried and failed a 3-month course of conservative management that included physical therapy, chiropractic therapy, and medication.”

Surgery candidates also must be graduates of the plan’s LBP health coaching program. The program features a Web-based decision-making tool designed to help plan members “understand the pros and cons of surgery and high-tech radiology.” It is the first reported implementation of such a policy by a health care plan.

Putting a Clamp on the Soaring Rates of Spine Surgery

According to the December 2011 issue of the UPMC Health Plan Physician Partner Update, which informed participating providers of the new guidelines and the rationale for their implementation, “We feel strongly that this clinical initiative will improve the quality of care for members who are considering low back surgery, and that it will facilitate their involvement in the decision-making process.”

The update also noted, “Surgical procedures for low back surgery performed without prior authorization will not be reimbursed at either the specialist or the hospital level.” (more…)

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