Back pain is unique to each individual as there are many possible causes. For this reason the treatments shouldn’t be the same for each one. Research in the UK shows it is important to have a custom approach for back pain that targets the treatment to the cause.
A study published in Lancet divided back pain patients into 2 groups. 851 adults with back pain were categorized into risk groups of low, medium and high risk of poor outcomes. One group of patients received stratified or targeted treatment while the other received what is traditionally considered “best practice” of advice, exercise and manual therapy by physiotherapists.
The stratified treatment group showed significant improvement in disability scores at both the 4 and 12 months
evaluations. The patients in the targeted treatment also reported reduced pain, fear, less depression, and better general health. They also reported more satisfaction of treatment and less days off of work due to their pain than the control group. An additional benefit of the targeted treatment was lower health care costs!
The researchers concluded that without prognostic screening, “many medium-risk and high-risk patients are potentially being denied access to more sophisticated treatments that are likely to improve their clinical outcomes.”
If you would like to have less back pain, improved physical and emotional functioning, higher quality of life to enjoy normal activities of daily living and saving money on health care, it’s important to seek targeted custom approach to your back pain treatment.
Primary care doctors have always found back pain to be a challenge. Treating with medications that just mask symptoms or surgery which are risky and expensive are not the answer to the pain. Chiropractors have always stressed the importance of finding the cause of your back pain.
Our Freehold chiropractor does a thorough evaluation of orthopedic tests, range of motion, flexibility tests and a state of the art computerized sEMG to show you what is wrong and how we can get you better. Give us a call to receive targeted treatment to address the cause of your back pain or for more info click here.