Colorado Springs Orthopaedic Group?
A Case For Choosing Low-risk Back Pain Options First
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Back pain effects nearly 80% of adults at some point in their lives. It is the second ranked reason people go to the doctor and the second-most reason for missed work. You could say it is an epidemic, without being overly dramatic.
Back pain is a mystery to many doctors and depending on which type of doctor you happen to see first about your back pain, you may get a very different solution, ranging from physical therapy, Chiropractic care, spinal decompression, massage, pain medication, injections, and spine surgery. It's confusing.
But, no matter what you choose, I think you'd agree that the most conservative, non-invasive, and cost-effective option would be the best place to start.
There are several orthopaedic groups in Colorado Springs (sometimes spelled "orthopedic" - "orthopaedic" is the British version, which is used by the Colorado Springs Orthopaedic Group), offering a wide range of surgeries. But should surgery or injections be your first choice?
To help make your decision easier, a recent study looked at the effectiveness of conservative, lower cost treatments like Chiropractic care verse traditional medical spine care (we recently saw a patient who received two bills from her spinal fusion surgery and physical therapy - $249,000 and $99,000, respectively).
The medical therapies in this study included pharmaceutical drug therapy, exercise, self-care advice, and 25% of the patients received physical therapy.
The study focused on the patient’s present pain severity and functional disability measured by a questionnaire mailed to the patients.
The report concluded that chiropractic was favored over medical treatment in the following areas:
1. Pain Relief in the first 12 months
2. When low back pain radiated below the knee
3. Chronic low back pain
While both medical treatment and Chiropractic treatment helped, wouldn't it be wise to be utilize the more cost-effective and low-risk Chiropractic care first?
Also, Consumer Reports recently performed a survey in which the participants said that they preferred Chiropractic care for the treatment of low back pain more than another treatment, to include pharmaceutical drugs. The survey also said that Chiropractic care outperformed doctor-prescribed drugs.
At the 17th annual North American Spine Society meeting, three medical doctors defended Chiropractic by citing a Harvard study that found low back pain patients were significantly more satisfied with Chiropractic treatments compared to conventional medical care.
Briefly, let's address the topic of prescription drugs for back pain. In 2000, the late Barbara Starfield, MD, at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and Hygiene published an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association that said that 106,000 people died in hospitals due to adverse drug reactions from prescribed medication. An estimated 199,000 died in outpatient settings.
That same year (2000), The American College of Emergency Physicians stated that 20,000 people died from hardcore street drugs, to include cocaine and heroine.
Statistically, 3-5% of back pain sufferers necessitate surgery. Shouldn't you consider the a cost-effective treatment like Chiropractic before you opt for surgery or prescription drugs and shots. Surgery is one of those things you can't take-back.
At our spine center in Colorado Springs, we offer conservative options first, because we've seen the impact of surgery on patients, and we know the cost. Call today for a free consultation.
Back pain is a mystery to many doctors and depending on which type of doctor you happen to see first about your back pain, you may get a very different solution, ranging from physical therapy, Chiropractic care, spinal decompression, massage, pain medication, injections, and spine surgery. It's confusing.
But, no matter what you choose, I think you'd agree that the most conservative, non-invasive, and cost-effective option would be the best place to start.
There are several orthopaedic groups in Colorado Springs (sometimes spelled "orthopedic" - "orthopaedic" is the British version, which is used by the Colorado Springs Orthopaedic Group), offering a wide range of surgeries. But should surgery or injections be your first choice?
To help make your decision easier, a recent study looked at the effectiveness of conservative, lower cost treatments like Chiropractic care verse traditional medical spine care (we recently saw a patient who received two bills from her spinal fusion surgery and physical therapy - $249,000 and $99,000, respectively).
The medical therapies in this study included pharmaceutical drug therapy, exercise, self-care advice, and 25% of the patients received physical therapy.
The study focused on the patient’s present pain severity and functional disability measured by a questionnaire mailed to the patients.
The report concluded that chiropractic was favored over medical treatment in the following areas:
1. Pain Relief in the first 12 months
2. When low back pain radiated below the knee
3. Chronic low back pain
While both medical treatment and Chiropractic treatment helped, wouldn't it be wise to be utilize the more cost-effective and low-risk Chiropractic care first?
Also, Consumer Reports recently performed a survey in which the participants said that they preferred Chiropractic care for the treatment of low back pain more than another treatment, to include pharmaceutical drugs. The survey also said that Chiropractic care outperformed doctor-prescribed drugs.
At the 17th annual North American Spine Society meeting, three medical doctors defended Chiropractic by citing a Harvard study that found low back pain patients were significantly more satisfied with Chiropractic treatments compared to conventional medical care.
Briefly, let's address the topic of prescription drugs for back pain. In 2000, the late Barbara Starfield, MD, at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and Hygiene published an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association that said that 106,000 people died in hospitals due to adverse drug reactions from prescribed medication. An estimated 199,000 died in outpatient settings.
That same year (2000), The American College of Emergency Physicians stated that 20,000 people died from hardcore street drugs, to include cocaine and heroine.
Statistically, 3-5% of back pain sufferers necessitate surgery. Shouldn't you consider the a cost-effective treatment like Chiropractic before you opt for surgery or prescription drugs and shots. Surgery is one of those things you can't take-back.
At our spine center in Colorado Springs, we offer conservative options first, because we've seen the impact of surgery on patients, and we know the cost. Call today for a free consultation.