Low Back Pain

Why Do Spinal Surgery Rates Continue To Rise?

By Frank M. Painter|April 10, 2010|Iatrogenic Injury, Low Back Pain, News, Unnecessary Surgery|

Why Do Spinal Surgery Rates Continue To Rise?

A Chiro.Org Editorial

First, let’s review some history. In 1974, the Congressional Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce held hearings on unnecessary surgery. Their findings from the First Surgical Second Opinion Program found that 17.6% of recommendations for surgery were not confirmed. The House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations extrapolated these figures to estimate that, on a nationwide basis, there were 2.4 million unnecessary surgeries performed every year, resulting in 11,900 deaths, at an annual cost of $3.9 billion. [1]

With the total number of lower back surgeries having been estimated in 1995 to exceed 250,000 in the U.S., at a hospital cost of $11,000 per patient. [2] This could suggest that the total number of unnecessary back surgeries each year in the U.S. could be 44,000, costing as much as $484 million. [3]

So, the first risk of spinal surgery is that it may not be necessary.

A most-recent review suggests that:

Back Surgery Fails 74% of the Time

(more…)

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Two New Low Back Pain Studies Favor Chiropractic Care

By Frank M. Painter|April 1, 2010|Low Back Pain, News|

Two New Low Back Pain Studies Favor Chiropractic Care

The Chiro.Org Blog

Thanks to Health Insights Today for drawing our attention to these studies!

A major randomized controlled trial on chronic low back pain was just published in the Clinical Rehabilitation Journal, involving 210 patients (140 women and 70 men) with chronic, non-specific low back pain. These individuals were randomized into 3 groups: spinal manipulation, personalized physiotherapy, or back school. [1]

Chiropractic adjusting (Spinal Manipulation) was associated with much higher functional improvements and long-term pain relief than the other 2 groups after release from care and again at the 12-month follow-up. (more…)

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Medical Physicians Ignore Low Back Pain Guidelines

By Frank M. Painter|February 11, 2010|Guidelines, Low Back Pain, News|

Medical Physicians Ignore Low Back Pain Guidelines

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: ChiroACCESS

A February 2010 study of 3,533 general practice low back pain patients found that many providers are not following their own evidence based guidelines. [1] Guidelines do provide the overall best evidence but are not meant to be a cookbook approach to care. There is also a need for flexibility so the physician can deviate from guidelines when the specific needs and desires of the patient dictate. In addition, the clinical judgment of the physician may override the guidelines when in a particular patient’s case they are inappropriate.

There is, however, reason for concern when risky and or expensive unneeded procedures are used. The medical guideline for acute low back pain call for advice and analgesics, but 80% of the 3,533 patients in this study were not given advise and 82% were not given analgesics. More harmful medications that are not recommended in the guidelines were prescribed, with 37% getting anti-inflammatory drugs and ~20% opiods. (more…)

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More Bad News For Medical Patients

By Frank M. Painter|January 7, 2010|Education, Iatrogenic Injury, Low Back Pain, News|

More Bad News For Medical Patients

The Chiro.Org Blog

Medical Training For Musculoskeletal Conditions is Inadequate

From Harvard Medical School in the U.S. to medical schools in Europe, medical education related to musculoskeletal conditions is inadequate. A 2009 survey tested physician’s knowledge related to simple low back pain management. [1] The average survey score of family practitioners was 69.7 and the average score of orthopedists was far less at 44.3. Orthopedists were less likely to make the proper radiological referral and appropriate pharmacological prescription based upon the literature. (more…)

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Lower Back Trauma

By Frank M. Painter|October 11, 2009|Diagnosis, Education, Low Back Pain|

Lower Back Trauma

The Chiro.Org Blog

We would all like to thank Dr. Richard C. Schafer, DC, PhD, FICC for his lifetime commitment to the profession. In the future we will continue to add materials from RC’s copyrighted books for your use.

This is Chapter 12 from RC’s best-selling book:

“Chiropractic Posttraumatic Rehabilitation”

These materials are provided as a service to our profession. There is no charge for individuals to copy and file these materials. However, they cannot be sold or used in any group or commercial venture without written permission from ACAPress.

CHAPTER 12: LOWER BACK TRAUMA

Although it is easier to teach anatomy by dividing the body into arbitrary parts, a misinterpretation can be created. For instance, we find clinically that the lumbar spine, sacrum, ilia, pubic bones, and hips work as a functional unit. Any disorder of one part immediately affects the function of the others.

BACKGROUND

A wide assortment of muscle, tendon, ligament, bone, nerve, and vascular injuries in this area is witnessed during posttrauma care. As with other areas of the body, the first step in the examination process is knowing the mechanism of injury if possible. Evaluation can be rapid and accurate with this knowledge.

Low-back disability rapidly demotivates productivity and athletic participation. The mechanism of injury is usually intrinsic rather than extrinsic. The cause can often be through overbending, a heavy steady lift, or a sudden release —all which primarily involve the muscles. IVD disorders are more often, but not exclusively, attributed to extrinsic blows and intrinsic wrenches. An accurate and complete history is invariably necessary to offer the best management and counsel.

INITIAL ASSESSMENT

A player injured on the field or a worker injured in the shop should never be moved until emergency assessment is completed. Once severe injury has been eliminated, transfer to a back board can be made and further evaluation conducted at an aid station.

Neurologic Levels

(more…)

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Low Back Pain and Chiropractic

By Frank M. Painter|June 6, 2009|Chiropractic Care, Health, Low Back Pain, Prevention, Research, Safety, Spinal Manipulation|

Low Back Pain and Chiropractic

The Chiro.Org Blog

As you may know, until the late 90s, all chiropractic research was funded by our schools, or by research organizations like the FCER and the ICPA.

Even since then, the Federal Government has funneled homeopathic doses of cash towards chiropractic research. For this reason, much of early the funded research focused on Low Back Pain. (more…)

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