When back pain arises (and/or has turned
into chronic low back pain) so too does the matter of
which healthcare provider to see. It is
a valid question! Research reports that the first healthcare professional
establishes the course for care, cost, and outcome of the back pain bout.
A new study reported that first-provider chiropractic care was less expensive than care by other first-provider healthcare professionals.
Pflugerville Wellness Center delivers individualized treatment plans for Pflugerville
back pain relief and prevention.
CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: Contributing and Preventing Factors
Even though chronic low back
pain is notably common in older adults, research just has not
defined what contributes to it or to its
prevention. One review of 4 databases of 31,080 older adults exposed
an extensive list of factors that may contribute (from being
female, obese, anxious, depressed, having had falls in the past,
lifestyle issues like smoking, having weak abdominal muscles, occupational requirements
like having a job for longer than 10 years that demanded
bending/lifting, etc.) and factors that may prevent chronic low
back pain (intermediate level of leisure-time physical activity). (1) These
researchers, Pflugerville Wellness Center, and our patients would like to know more definitively
what influences chronic low back pain!
Even more wanted is guidance on how to manage it.
REFERRALS FOR CHIROPRACTIC CARE
A survey of US office-based physicians tackled how referrals
affected the care of back pain. The participating physicians
were queried as to their referrals for particular
complementary health approaches like herbs/non-vitamin supplements,
chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation, acupuncture and mind-body therapies
(meditation, guided imagery, progressive relaxation). 60% of the physicians reported
they recommended these approaches when patients asked
for them. More female than male physicians answered
using evidence in peer-reviewed journals as rationale
for suggesting such approaches. (2) An additional concerning
factor for female back pain sufferers is that they are consistently
noted as having greater levels of frailty than men. (3) Frailty is always of concern in our older patients. Pflugerville Wellness Center is always ready to share the benefits
– recognized by patients and verified by
research – of chiropractic and more specifically, Cox® Technic, with interested healthcare
physicians and spine pain sufferers.
CHIROPRACTIC RISES TO THE TOP
Another review of 3,799,593 low back pain patients surfaced this past month highlighting how influential
the first healthcare provider was in their study on cost and outcome for back
pain. Healthcare utilization (imaging, prescriptions, tests, visits, etc.),
opioid prescribing, and cost were higher when seeing
certain providers first: orthopedist ($9434), acupuncturist ($9205), primary
care physician ($5660), and chiropractor ($5093). (4) Seeing
which provider first resulted in the lowest cost of
care without any delay in diagnosis
or serious illness? The chiropractor! With regards to
back pain, neck pain and spine-related pain, Pflugerville chiropractic care
makes sense.
CONTACT Pflugerville Wellness Center
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Keith Bartley on The Back Doctors Podcast with
Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates the positive
outcome for a lumbar spinal stenosis low back pain sufferer who found
relief with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management after she had seen
other healthcare providers.
Make your Pflugerville chiropractic
appointment now. The question of which healthcare provider
to see arises, remember your
Pflugerville chiropractor!