Johnson Chiropractic Respects the Painful Spine with Evidence-Based Care

The spine deserves respect. Johnson Chiropractic respects all Richmond spines, those in good shape and those in not so good shape. When the spine hurts, it gets attention. The attention the hurting spine gets is not always respectful of the guidelines for its pain relief. That fact is receiving notice in the medical research. Evidence based guidelines for a painful spine’s care are plentiful, but they are not always used. They are published but not always read or implemented. The spine deserves better. Your Richmond chiropractor respects the spine and coordinates its trouble to the best evidence-based protocol for its relief which is frequently non-surgical and non-drug.

CLINICAL GUIDELINES AND APPROACHES

What is recommended and/or favorable for spine pain often provided even in Richmond? The American Pain Society and the American College of Physicians recommend spinal manipulation for low back pain. (1) Flexion distraction (aka Cox Technic) and manual therapy using joint mobilization techniques and flexion distraction is reported to be effective for low back pain relief. (2) Conservative treatment in the form of spinal manipulation should be undertaken by patients with chronic low back pain and low back pain related disability. (3) Flexion distraction provides clinically significant improvement in pain by 79% and disability by 70% at 14.5 months follow-up. (4) Research reports that surgical approaches and outcomes vary from place to place for patients with the same condition. It beckons standardization of care and the establishment of international guidelines based regarding what works best according to such evidence. (5) Johnson Chiropractic agrees that published guidelines documenting what is most effective require respectful use.

CLINICAL REALITY

What is being done? A recently published article that reviewed the care of Canadian spine pain patients sent for spine surgery bluntly wrote that “Surgeons do not use clinical practice guidelines before spine surgery.” What did they do? Prescribed medications to 74.2% of them 46.3% of whom got opioids.  61.1% of patients tried two or less non-surgical forms of treatment. The article proposes that if patients attempted to use evidence-based non-operative treatments before a spine surgery consultation, fewer would be referred and, in Canada, fewer would deteriorate as they have to wait such a long time to see the surgeon. (6) Lumbar cage fusion rates rose from 3.6% to 58% in 5 years that resulted in increased complication risk without any improvement in disability or reoperation rates. (7) Johnson Chiropractic offers Richmond chiropractic spine care with less invasive, more effective means, specifically with the evidence-based protocols of Cox Technic.

MAKE A Richmond CHIROPRACTIC APPOINTMENT

Listen to this PODCAST with medical doctor, Dr. David Moen, who encourages non-surgical care of back pain with chiropractic for less expensive and unnecessary medical care.

Schedule a Richmond chiropractic consultation now with the Richmond spine specialist at Johnson Chiropractic where your hurting spine is seen with respect and relieving care as evidence documents best.