Benefits of Chiropractic Care over Opioids

 This is a short video from the Illinois Chiropractic Society on the benefits of chiropractic care over opioids.

CHIROPRACTIC SAVES (OPIOID CRISIS)

Signs Point to Greater Access to Chiropractic for Service Members, Civilian Beneficiaries

 The Department of Defense has conducted several demonstration projects designed to examine the cost and feasibility of chiropractic healthcare services for its beneficiaries. The results of these projects have concluded that it is feasible to implement chiropractic services as part of the military health care benefit, and the resulting patient satisfaction is higher than that seen with traditional medical care. 

Signs Point to Greater Access to Chiropractic for Service Members, Civilian Beneficiaries

Chiropractic Health Care month in Illinois

 October, 2021 has been designated as Chiropractic Health Care Month in Illinois. Every year two million Illinois residents visit chiropractic practices. 

LEGISLATION PASSED ADDING CHIROPRACTIC TO MEDICAID

 Illinois coverage for chiropractic care was discontinued eight years ago. Recently a bill containing a provision to re-instate chiropractic coverage to Illinois the Illinois Medicaid program as been passed and is expected to be signed by the governor. A plan will now be formulated by the Health and Family Services to be sent for federal approval.

LEGISLATION PASSED ADDING CHIROPRACTIC TO MEDICAID

Spinal Manipulative Therapy Far Safer than Opioids for Chronic Low Back Pain

New study from the April edition of the prestigious Spine Journal finds spinal manipulation (adjustments) significantly safer than opioids for treating chronic low back pain. Patients who received spinal manipulation first were 42 times less likely to experience an adverse drug reaction than patients who were first prescribed opioid drugs.

 Foundation for Chiropractic ProgressApplaudsSpineStudy Showing Spinal Manipulative Therapy FarSafer than Opioids for Chronic Low Back Pain

Muscle Relaxants vs. Manipulations for LBP

 Newer better studies show that relaxant drugs have no good evidence of effectiveness for low back pain, while having possible significant

adverse effects especially for people operating machinery. Multiple clinical trials have found that skeletal muscle relaxants are associated with 50 percent more total adverse events and 104 percent more central nervous system adverse events than placebo.

A recent randomized controlled trial showed that spinal manipulation as commonly practiced by doctors of chiropractic had significantly more effect on pain reduction that muscle relaxants or placebo.

Muscle Relaxants vs. Manipulations for LBP

The Nordic Maintenance Care program

These results from the recently published Nordic Maintenance Care study showed that patients that received regular chiropractic maintenance care had less days with bothersome low back pain over 52 weeks pain than patients who were just treated when they had pain episodes.
The Nordic Maintenance Care program

Chiropractic Care Significantly Reduces Risk of Opioid Prescribing

Study from the March issue of Pain Medicine Journal using claim data from three states found that patients with spinal pain who saw a chiropractor had half the risk of filling an opioid prescription.
Impact of Chiropractic Care on Use of Prescription Opioids in Patients with Spinal Pain

U.S. Physician Recommendations to Their Patients About the Use of Complementary Health Approaches

The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey showed that spinal/ osteopathic manipulation was the was the most common recommended complementary health approach by family and other primary physicians.
Would you be surprised to know that I have received patient referrals from well over 100 medical physicians of many specialities?
U.S. Physician Recommendations to Their Patients About the Use of Complementary Health Approaches

Expanding the VA Chiropractic Residency

The Veteran's Administration has operated a chiropractic residency program at five VA hospitals since 2016. They are now expanding the program to five more hospitals. This will give these DC's skills to practice in hospital and other medical settings.
Do you see benefit in chiropractors treating patients in the hospital?
https://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php…Expanding the VA Chiropractic Residency

More Payers Backing Chiropractic Care in 2020

This article from a website for the managed care industry states that many insurance plans including the military plan Tricare will be increasing coverage for chiropractic care after many studies now showing it reduces costs, reduces surgeries, and reduces opioid prescriptions.
Are you so surprised that this has taken so long?
Chiropractic care is becoming a method more recognized as a way to better treat patients and avoid pharmacological pain management methods.

More Payers Backing Chiropractic Care in 2020

JAMA Study: Opioids No Better Than Nonopioids in Improving Pain-Related Function, Intensity for Chronic Back Pain, Hip/Knee OA

Another comparison study showing no differences in long term outcomes using opioids vs non-opioid drugs for chronic back pain, hip/knee osteoarthritis.
I have seen several of these comparison studies showing no better outcomes in the opioid groups. Does this surprise anyone?JAMA Study: Opioids No Better Than Nonopioids in Improving Pain-Related Function, Intensity for Chronic Back Pain, Hip/Knee OA

Using chiropractors to reduce lower back pain

Here is a recent video interview of a professor from Logan Chiropractic College. He notes that the average age of the onset of back disorders is 32 and unfortunately the average age to begin chiropactic care is 47. He also mentions the recent study showing that in a chiropractic treatment group there was a 49% reduction in opioid use.
Using chiropractors to reduce lower back pain

Low back pain is number 1 cause of disability worldwide

This Annals of Rheumatic Diseases six year study looked at 117 previous studies and the health and disability data from 187 countries. Overall, out of 291 conditions studied, low back pain was at the top in terms of years lost to disability. The researchers estimate that this problem will increase in the coming decades. As such, the team warns governments and health services to take the issue more seriously than they have in the past.
Do you think this is good advice?
Low back pain is number 1 cause of disability worldwide

Physical Therapy, Chiropractic Back Care Cut Opioid Use, Costs

A recent study in Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open concluded that adding increased chiropractic and physical therapy coverage and other non drug services to insurance plans gave better outcomes, decreased costs, and reduced opioid use.

Physical Therapy, Chiropractic Back Care Cut Opioid Use, Costs

9 Risk Factors for Developing Sciatica

I have had many patients with more severe sciatica (leg pain from a pinched nerve in the low back) tell me with a straiight face they wished someone would cut their leg off! It can be more severe than back pain because it is a form of nerve pain.
You can decrease your risk of sciatica by working on the nine factors discussed in this article.

9 Risk Factors for Developing Sciatica

The problem with MRIs for low back pain

It seems to make sense that more medical testing gives better results, yet studies have shown that imaging for low back pain does not improve one’s pain, function, or quality of life. One of the big negatives with imaging is that there is a high amount of false negatives, which are incidental findings that do not cause symptoms, and this many times leads to unneeded further testing and failed treatments including surgeries.
So it is counter-intuitive but sometimes less testing is better.
The problem with MRIs for low back pain

VA Study Finds Chiropractic Linked to Lower Opiate Usage

A recent Veteran's Administration study published in the Pain Medicine Journal found that veterans who received chiropractic treatment had a significantly lower usage of opiates after their chiropractic visits compared to non-chiropractic patients.
Opioids can sometimes be beneficial, but in some cases other treatments can be more appropriate. Do you think it would be beneficial to get veterans better access to chiropractic and other non drug treatments?

VA Study Finds Chiropractic Linked to Lower Opiate Usage

To Combat Opioids, Missouri Medicaid Opens Access to Chiropractic

Missouri has announced that access to chiropractic services and other non-drug pain treatments will now be made available in the state's Medicaid program to help diminish the use of opioids and provide relief for those suffering from chronic pain. 
Illinois cut out coverage of chiropractic services a number of years ago. Do you think it might be a good idea to reinstate chiropractic coverage here in Illinois?To Combat Opioids, Missouri Medicaid Opens Access to Chiropractic

Spinal stenosis is narrowing inside the spine and is a common reason for spinal surgery. Spinal fusion surgery is increasingly be added to the standard decompression surgery, but does not have any evidence of adding benefit to the procedure. At the same time adding the fusion increases the cost, increased recovery time, and increases the rate of infections and complications.
Does this practice sound rational to you?
Benefit of lumbar fusion for spinal stenosis found to be small to nonexistent