Low Back Problems

US Chiropractic Directory Presents:

Low Back Problems

Low back problems are one of the most prevalent issues that people worldwide suffer. Low back pain has been called lumbago, sciatica and a host of other names, however to the public, it is literally a "pain in the butt." Chiropractic has been safely and effectively helping patents with pain in the back for over 100 years and The US Chiropractic Directory has create a forum of information involving the entire healthcare and scientific community to bring the public evidenced and researched based answers on how and why chiropractic works to help those with low back pain/problems.

Can Chiropractic Care Reduce the Odds of Low Back Surgery?

Can Chiropractic Care Reduce the Odds
of Low Back Surgery?



42.7 Percent of Workers Who Consulted a Surgeon First Had Surgery

vs.

1.5% Who Consulted a Chiropractor Initially Had Surgery

By Mark Studin, DC, FASBE(C), DAAPM, DAAMLP
 Michael Schonfeld, DC, DABCO

Back injuries are the most prevalent occupational injury in the United States. Few prospective studies have examined early predictors of spine surgery after work-related back injury. It was reported by Keeney et. al. in May 2013 that the chances of the patient undergoing lumbar spinal surgery vary dramatically changes depending upon what specialist they saw first.

Trauma, aging, improper body mechanics, and normal wear and tear can all injure your spine. Damage to any part of your back or pressure on the nerves in your spine can cause back pain and other symptoms. If you have ongoing back pain, maybe you've wondered — could back surgery help?

The rate of spinal fusion surgery has risen six fold in the United States over the past 20 years, according to federal figures, and the expensive procedure has become even more common than hip replacement. The rate of spinal fusions in the United States is about 150 per 100,000 people, according to federal data. In Australia, it is about one-third of that; in Sweden, it is about 40 per 100,000; and in Britain it is lower still.

Even by American health-care standards, the rise of spinal fusions has been remarkable. According to federal figures, the number of spinal fusions in the United States rose from 56,000 in 1994 to 465,000 in 2011.

Using Disability Risk studies by Keeney et. al., they examined the early predictors of lumbar spine surgery within 3 years among Washington State workers, with new workers compensation and temporary total disability claims for back injuries. In the sample of 1885 workers, 174 (9.2%) had a lumbar spine surgery within 3 years. Reduced odds of surgery were observed for those younger than 35 years, females, Hispanics, and those whose first provider was a chiropractor. Approximately 42.7% of workers who first saw a surgeon had surgery, in contrast to only 1.5% of those who saw a chiropractor. They concluded that there was a very strong association between surgery and first provider seen.

If back surgery is something you must seriously consider, consider this:

Back surgery is needed in only a small percentage of cases. Most back problems can be taken care of with nonsurgical treatments.

It was reported by McMorland, Suter, Casha, du Plessis, and Hurlbert in 2010 that over 250,000 patients a year undergo elective lumbar discectomy (spinal surgery) for the treatment of low back disc issues in the United States. The researchers did a comparative randomized clinical study comparing spinal microdiscectomy (surgery) performed by neurosurgeons to non-operative manipulative treatments (chiropractic adjustments) performed by chiropractors. They compared quality of life and disabilities of the patients in the study.

The study was limited to patients with distinct one-sided lumbar disc herniations as diagnosed via MRI and had associated radicular (nerve root) symptoms. Based upon the authors’ review of available MRI studies, the patients participating in the study were all initially considered surgical candidates. Both the surgical and chiropractic groups reported no new neurological problems and had only minor post-treatment soreness. 60% of the patients who underwent chiropractic care reported a successful outcome while 40% required surgery and of those 40%, all reported successful outcomes. This study concluded that 60% of the potential surgical candidates had positive outcomes utilizing chiropractic as the alternative to surgery.

Choosing a conservative approach for your back injury requires choosing a conservative practitioner of healthcare that has been certified to equate to successful outcomes without surgery. Chiropractors are trained in a drugless/non-surgical approach to treating you and your back. 

The bottom line is this: see a chiropractor first and the research supports that decision.

42.7 Percent of Workers Consulted a Surgeon First Had Surgery
vs.
1.5% Who Consulted a Chiropractor Initially Had Surgery


References:

     1.      Mayo Clinic staff. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-surgery/HQ00305

     2.      Whorksy, P. and Keating, D. of the Associated Press. Retrieved from
               http://union-bulletin.com/news/2013/oct/28/spinal-surgery-raises-questions-excess/

     3.      McMorland, G., Suter, E., Casha, S., du Plessis, S. J., & Hurlbert, R. J. (2010). Manipulation or microdiscectomy for               sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 33(8),               576-584.





Low Back Pain and Chiropractic: Preventing Re-Occurences and Exacerbations

Low Back Pain and Chiropractic; Preventing Re-Occurences and Exacerbations
By
William J. Owens DC, DAAMLP
Mark Studin DC, FASBE (C), DAAPM, DAAMLP
 
 
Chiropractic and lower back pain has been one of the most commonly researched topics to date. There is a large volume of research showing that the Chiropractic Adjustment is effective for treating lower back pain, but what happens when that pain is relieved?   Many Chiropractic patients have known for a long time that Chiropractic care is effective in maintaining spinal health,  leading to a more functional and productive life. A recent research article published in 2004 confirmed why many Chiropractic patients choose to continue with their Chiropractic care after active treatment, BECAUSE IT WORKS! Just like going to the Dentist for regular cleanings or visiting your Family Doctor, Chiropractic “Check-ups” are an important part of a healthy spine regimen.  
In this paper being reviewed, the authors stated the purpose of the paper was “To document the potential role of maintenance chiropractic spinal manipulation [Chiropractic Adjustment] to reduce overall pain and disability levels associated with chronic low-back conditions after an initial phase of intensive chiropractic treatments”1(p509).    They also state in the paper “A recent survey of American Chiropractors showed that 95.4% of Chiropractors believe that maintenance chiropractic care is used to minimize recurrence or exacerbation [flare-ups] of pain and symptoms”1. (p510)
The paper concluded that “For the disability scores, however, only the group that was given spinal manipulations [Chiropractic Adjustment] during the follow up period maintained their post intensive treatment scores. The disability scores of the other group when back to their pretreatment levels”.1 (p509)
This study has paved the way for additional studies into the long-term benefits of Chiropractic care and its influence on spinal health. If you are experiencing pain in the lower back, Chiropractic has been shown to be effective not only in the beginning treatment, but also in the maintenance of those results. 
 
1.       Martin Descarreaux, Jean-Sebastien Blouin, March Drolet, Stanislas Papadimitriou and Norman Teasdale. Efficacy of Preventive Spinal Manipulation for Chronic Low-Back Pain and Related Disabilities: A Preliminary Study. Journal of Manipulation and Physiological Therapeutics, Volume 27, Number 8. 2004