The use of opioid pain medication for pain has
been a common treatment. Its use is a little too common as medicine today is even attempting to scale back on its
prescription. For back surgery patients, it has 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. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office
would love to be the first healthcare provider Groton
back pain and neck pain patients visit and truly embrace
the opportunity to care for 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 they had
surgery. We’re have the skills to
help.
BACK SURGERY OUTCOME PREDICTORS: # of Rx Prescribers and #
of Rx Prescriptions
Very few hurry 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 had
single-level fusion surgeries retained 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 increased improvement of
post-surgical back pain. The more pre-surgical opioid prescriptions a patient used
was a predictor for poorer surgical outcomes including worse
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 interesting and
seemingly side note to the study was that if a nonoperative
spine provider was included in the case, an increased improvement in leg pain VAS scores was seen. (1)
Chiropractic is a profession of nonoperative spine providers! We chiropractors
are prepared and well-trained to help manage
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 frustrating. Some return to the medical
model and get new pain medication prescriptions or extended
prescriptions for the post-surgery meds. Others seek chiropractic
care. A new study of such patients who turned to chiropractic
care with chiropractors who are certified in Cox® Technic spinal manipulation (manual
spinal decompression manipulation) stated that of the 59 participants
in the study, 11 entered the study utilizing
opioid medications. Eight of them self-reported that they reduced
or quit their use. Three said they continued
their use. (2) This holds hope for many post-surgical continued
pain patients that not having to take pain meds as the only way
to pain relief may be possible. Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office is Groton’s post-surgical
back pain provider to consult for Cox® Technic treatment.
CONTACT Shoreline Medical Services/ Hutter Chiropractic Office
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Marc Baker on The Back
Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes his
use of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management in delivering relief
for a military veteran with back pain after back surgery.
Make your Groton chiropractic
appointment today. If you’ve had
back surgery, now take pain meds, opioids,
or not, we look forward to seeing and helping
you.