Alternative treatments for chronic pain without opioids

Missouri Governor Mike Parson recently signed a bill allowing chiropractic care to be covered under Medicaid. Research shows that the Medicaid population is prescribed opioids at a disproportionately high rate compared to the general population and those areas where patients have access to chiropractic have decreased opioid prescription rates.
Do you think it would be beneficial for Illiinois to again cover chiropractic care under Medicaid?Alternative treatments for chronic pain without opioids

Smoking Leads to Spine Surgery

Many of my patients are surprised when I inform them that smoking is a risk factor for spinal disorders and back pain because it restricts blood flow and promotes inflammation in the spine. A recent study in the Spine Journal found that smokers are up to 46% more likely to get surgery for spinal stenosis.
Does this surprise anyone?
Smoking Leads to Spine Surgery

7 Clear Signs Your Back Pain is Actually Sciatica

Informative article on sciatica from Reader's Digest. It can cause intense pain and I have had many patients over the years with severe sciatica say they wish someone would cut their leg off! 
Unfortunately the pain medications are generally not that effective for sciatic pain because they will not unpinch a pinched nerve.
Has anyone experienced sciatica?

7 Clear Signs Your Back Pain is Actually Sciatica

The Puzzling Popularity of Back Surgery in Certain Regions

You might think that once drugs, devices and medical procedures are shown to be effective, they quickly become available. You might also think that those shown not to work as well as alternatives are immediately discarded.
Reasonable assumptions both, but you’d be wrong.
Another study has shown wide variations of up to 4 times in the rates of spinal surgery across the US. and it has not changed over time. There is no reason for this wide variation. 
 Unfortunately this shows that the decision to do spinal surgery is many times not based on science and many people are getting unnecessary spinal surgeries.

The Puzzling Popularity of Back Surgery in Certain Regions