Chiropractic Care for Chronic Low Back & Neck Pain - Visit Frequency and Patient Outcomes
- Details
- Dr. Shawn Thistle
Over 40 percent of adults in the USA are affected by chronic pain. Chronic spinal pain is one of the most common types and is associated with substantial burden to patients, the healthcare system, and employers. Chronic pain cannot always be cured but (in general) can be managed. This is often done through sustained use of medication; however, the risks of this treatment approach may outweigh the benefits.
Spinal manipulation is one recommended, provider-based, nonpharmacologic therapy and is commonly provided by chiropractors. Current recommendations for provider-based care give frequency and duration of treatment and timing for reassessment. They also commonly refer to the concept of Maximum Therapeutic Improvement (MTI): the point at which a patient’s condition has reached a plateau and is unlikely to show further improvement. The guidelines all acknowledge that in certain conditions care may be required beyond the point of MTI, however, little guidance and no evidence is available for care after MTI.
This study examined the relationships between patients’ pain and functional outcomes over 3-months and their chiropractic visit frequency, visits to other provider types, and other characteristics.
This author group features 3 giants in our field - Drs. Eric Hurwitz, Christine Goertz and Ian Coulter!
THIS WEEK'S RESEARCH REVIEW: “Chiropractic Care for Chronic Low Back & Neck Pain – Visit Frequency and Outcomes”
This paper was published in Pain Physician (2021) and this Review is posted in Recent Reviews, Low Back Pain, Neck Pain and the 2022 Archive.
