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 still receive opioid prescriptions from their healthcare providers. Apple Country Chiropractic
would love to be the first healthcare provider Williamson
back pain and neck pain patients see 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 they had
surgery. We’re 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 relief from various healthcare
providers before surgery is contemplated and/or scheduled. 66.9%
of patients in a retrospective study of patients who underwent
single-level fusion surgeries had 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 had
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 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 control
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 have the same pain in the back area that the surgery was supposed to relieve, the return of pain
can be frustrating. Some got back the medical
model and get new pain medication prescriptions or extended
prescriptions for the post-surgery meds. Others seek chiropractic
care. A recent 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 patients
in the study, 11 entered the study with
opioid medications. Eight of them self-reported that they reduced
or discontinued their use. Three said they continued
their use. (2) This is hopeful for many post-surgical continued
pain patients that pain relief enough to not have to depend
on medications may be possible]. Apple Country Chiropractic is Williamson’s post-surgical
back pain provider to consult for Cox® Technic treatment.
CONTACT Apple Country Chiropractic
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.
Schedule your Williamson chiropractic
appointment today. If you’ve undergone
back surgery, currently using pain meds, opioids,
or not, we look forward to working with you.