Opioid use for pain has
been a familiar 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 still receive opioid prescriptions from their healthcare providers. Minster Chiropractic Center
would enjoy being the first healthcare provider Minster
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 underwent
single-level fusion surgeries had one or less opioid prescription
prescribers before surgery while 33.1% had 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 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 included in the case, a greater improvement in leg pain VAS scores was seen. (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 have the same pain in the back area that the surgery was supposed to fix, the return of pain
can be frustrating. Some got back the medical
model and receive new pain medication prescriptions or prolonged
prescriptions for the post-surgery meds. Others turn to 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 participants
in the study, 11 came into the study using
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 pain relief enough to not have to rely
on medications may be possible]. Minster Chiropractic Center is Minster’s post-surgical
back pain provider to see for Cox® Technic treatment.
CONTACT Minster Chiropractic Center
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.
Make your Minster chiropractic
appointment soon. If you have undergone
back surgery, now taking pain meds, opioids,
or not, we are looking forward to seeing and helping
you.