Bottom Line: The opioid epidemic has led many leading medical groups to emphasize the importance of conservative care for low back and neck pain. The world’s largest medical society, the American College of Physicians, updated its low back treatment guide in 2017 to support conservative options, such as Chiropractic care. The guidelines were published in the prestigious Annals of Internal Medicine and have been adopted by many leading healthcare organizations.
Why it Matters: Medical guidelines are now emphasizing the patients should only move to take Ibuprofen or muscle relaxants if other conservative options aren’t helping. New research has shown that medications such as acetaminophen are not very good at providing relief, and in many cases, aren’t even as effective as a placebo.
– The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality recommended spinal adjustments as the only safe, effective, and drugless initial treatment for back pain.
– A new article in the American Medical Association suggests Chiropractic as the preferred option for people with back pain. – SPINE found nearly 75% of patients had significant improvement in their back pain with chiropractic care, compared to only 17% who had medical care alone.
Next Steps: Now more than ever, medical doctors and Chiropractors are working together to help patients get well and stay well. For over 100 years, Chiropractors have been focused on providing effective, safe, and natural healthcare solutions. Due to the risks and dangers of surgery and medications, the medical community has finally begun to support options such as Chiropractic that take a patient-first approach to care.
Science Source(s): Adding Chiropractic Manipulative Therapy to Standard Medical Care for Patients with Acute Low Back Pain: The Results of a Pragmatic Randomized Comparative Effectiveness Study! SPINE Volume 38, Number 8: 627-634 @2013 Acute Low Back Problems in Adults. Clinical Practice Guideline No.14. AHCPR Publication No. 95-0642 Low Back Pain. JAMA. 2013; 309(16):1738