Opioid use for pain has
been a familiar treatment. Its use is a little too much so as medicine today is even trying to scale back on its
prescription. For back surgery patients, it’s been quite common,
both before and/or after back surgery. Though today the use of opioids is being
less supported, many back pain sufferers find
themselves with opioid prescriptions from their healthcare providers. Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc
would enjoy being the first healthcare provider Fort Wayne
back pain and neck pain patients visit and truly embrace
the opportunity to take care of the post-surgical continued pain
patients - with or without opioid prescriptions - who come to us with the same
or returned pain in the same spinal area where their surgery was. We are ready to
help.
BACK SURGERY OUTCOME PREDICTORS: # of Rx Prescribers and #
of Rx Prescriptions
Very few rush into back surgery. Back pain sufferers
often look for help from various healthcare
providers before surgery is considered and/or scheduled. 66.9%
of patients in a retrospective study of patients who experienced
single-level fusion surgeries employed one or less opioid prescription
prescribers before surgery while 33.1% employed more than
one opioid prescribers. The more pre-surgical opioid prescribers in a back surgery
patient’s case was a predictor of greater improvement of
post-surgical back pain. The more pre-surgical opioid prescriptions a patient used
was a predictor for poorer surgical outcomes including lower
improvement in back VAS pain scores, leg VAS pain scores, Oswestry Disability
Index scores, and for more post-surgical opioid prescriptions, prescribers, and
morphine milligram equivalents. An attention-getting and
seemingly side note to the study was that if a nonoperative
spine provider was involved in the case, a
higher improvement in leg pain VAS scores was noted. (1)
Chiropractic is a profession of nonoperative spine providers! We chiropractors
are ready and well-trained to help contrain
back pain before and after surgery and give patients an opportunity
to lower their opioid use for pain management.
CHIROPRACTIC POST-SURGICAL CARE AND OPIOID USE
For patients who underwent back surgery
and find that they experience back pain in the same
area that the surgery was supposed to relieve, the return of pain
can be vexing. Some return to the medical
model and receive new pain medication prescriptions or prolonged
prescriptions for the post-surgery meds. Others seek chiropractic
care. A new study of such patients who sought chiropractic
care with chiropractors who are certified in Cox® Technic spinal manipulation (manual
spinal decompression manipulation) stated that of the 59 patients
in the study, 11 entered the study utilizing
opioid medications. Eight of them self-reported that they reduced
or discontinued their use. Three said they maintained
their use. (2) This is hopeful for many post-surgical continued
pain patients that not having to take pain meds as the only way
to pain relief may be possible. Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc is Fort Wayne’s post-surgical
back pain provider to see for Cox® Technic treatment.
CONTACT Cox Chiropractic Medicine Inc
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Marc Baker on The Back
Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he shares his
use of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management in delivering relief
for a military veteran with back pain after back surgery.
Schedule your Fort Wayne chiropractic
appointment today. If you have had
back surgery, now taking pain meds, opioids,
or not, we are looking forward to working with you.