In the interest of my patients, their families and the general public I attempt to bring up to date information for our followers to read. This is an interesting article published by the LA Times. It is provided by very reputable organizations and therefore the credibility is immense.
The article I have reviewed and provided for you is yet again, recent and up to date information in support of conservative treatment options for low back pain. Before I go on, please do not assume that physical therapy and especially chiropractic care are only good for low back pain. It is important to clarify that low back pain is one of the most commonly researched, or referenced, types of injuries because it is so common and so expensive to treat.
To return to the recent article, I would like for the reader to note that the common and effective treatment options here are NSAID’s, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and physical therapy for example.
These steps are typically overlooked or under utilized as the research shows. Although physical therapy and chiropractic are not identical disciplines, they share a great number of similarities and I encourage anyone with common aches, pains, strains, etc to visit well trained and competent practitioners in either discipline. Caring for a patient should not be about egos and promotion of any one discipline, but rather the well being and the best interest of the patient.
An additional important point that this article brings up is the over utilization of MRI’s and other enhanced and expensive diagnostic studies. Such diagnostic studies are and can be extremely useful in patient care, however, the clinical training and judgement of the healthcare provider is critical as well and is the initial and most cost effective diagnostic tool. Any clinician will likely tell you of the dangers and inappropriateness of relying so heavily, let alone, exclusively, upon diagnostic studies to determine the cause of illness or patient complaints.
There are well-structured and standard protocols that are to be utilized in the differential diagnosis process of low back pain. Relatively speaking, there are also certain protocols that are to be followed in the treatment of low back pain that is all too often overlooked or ignored and sometimes due to preconceived opinions of the evaluating physician. In summary, this article is a simple and important reminder to return to the basics of treatment for low back pain, which have served to be beneficial and cost-effective for a number of decades now and centuries or longer in some cases.