Lower Back Pain and Canada’s Opioid Epidemic:
Lower back pain affects 80% of people at some time in their lives and is the leading cause of disability in Canada. Chronic lower back pain is estimated to affect between 4%-25% of people.
Patients often seek temporary pain relief by using over-the-counter NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications) which can keep a person more active. However, NSAIDS are not without risks, some of which are lethal.
Lower back pain is often treated with NSAIDs as a first step, but for true healing to begin, Chiropractic care should begin promptly.
The British Medical Journal in 2015 reported that Canada now has an opioid crisis and 2,000 Canadians die each year from the overuse of opioids, many related to use for lower back pain. Apart from being addictive and having other side-effects, opioids do not seem to expedite return to work in injured workers, nor do they improve functional outcomes for people with acute back pain.
While it is not in the scope of practice for Chiropractors to advise their patients about medications, Dr. Horowitz feels that people have a right to decide on a healthcare team of their choosing.
Canadians are largely unaware of other more effective treatment options available to them apart from using medications, including the safety and effectiveness of Chiropractic care.
Evidence-based Recommended Treatment Options for Lower Back Pain:
Most high-quality evidence-based guidelines based on respected medical research recommends the following treatments to be effective AND to be used as FIRST-LINE TREATMENTS for both acute and chronic lower back pain:
- patient education
- staying active rather than bedrest
- exercise
- spinal manipulation
- massage
- NSAIDs
- mindfulness-based meditation
- yoga
- multidisciplinary rehabilitation
- acupuncture
The following all recommend Spinal Manipulation (aka Chiropractic Adjustments) as a first-line intervention for back pain:
The American College of Physicians
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
the Bone and Joint Decade Task Force
the American College of Physicians
the American Pain Society
Britain’s National Institute of Health and Care
Your right to be informed about Lower Back Pain Treatments:
1. Pain medications do not heal back injuries. Though some address inflammation, they do not heal injured tissues, do not address the root cause(s) of why the pain is present in the first place and do not address how to prevent further episodes.
2. Chiropractic spinal manipulation is recommended as a first-line intervention for both acute and chronic low back in numerous clinical practice guidelines. Spinal manipulation has been shown to be statistically effective in terms of pain relief and functional improvements according to the best research studies available.
3. Chiropractic is widely recognized as one of the safest, drug-free, non-invasive therapies available and has an excellent safety record is an important non-invasive, and evidence-based approach to managing musculoskeletal-related pain and dysfunction.
4. In 2005 the FDA warned that NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and diclofenac (Cataflam, Voltaren) increase the risk of stroke, especially for patients who have other stroke risk factors and heart attacks. Based on the advice of an expert panel the FDA strengthened this warning in July 2015.
5. Accidental deaths recorded are 287 that are related in Acetaminophen use which occurred between 2005 and 2013 where acetaminophen was a major or contributing cause (Health Canada’s drug database).
Q: Doesn’t Lower Back Pain just go away on its own?
Most lower back pain eventually goes away on its own. Yet why should people wait weeks or months suffering in pain, losing time from work, family and leisure activities when Chiropractic care can help get them back to themselves in a shorter period?
Unseen Tissue damage and Loss of Ranges of Spinal Motion:
It is common for inflammation to occur in areas of pain. Part of the inflammatory process includes scarring and this results in loss of spinal motion and overall flexibility.
Following episodes of back pain and dysfunction, health care practitioners are not certain about the degree of tissue damage that may be left behind in the spinal joints, membranes, nerve sheaths and spinal nerves, spinal ligaments and associated muscles, tendons and fascia. Scar tissue that may leave a person predisposed to future episodes of back pain.
Furthermore, we know that Osteoarthritis in the Spine is accelerated following episodes of trauma (car accidents, falls, sports injuries etc.). It is quite possible that Osteoarthritis is also accelerated following episodes of lower back pain that go untreated.
Even once the pain goes away on its own and some function returns, people often reduce their levels of physical fitness because they fear that they will cause further damage or a re-occurrence.
Why Should I be Concerned about Tissue Scarring?
known that a greater number of treatments over a longer period are needed when a patient has a history of many episodes of back or injury. When scars develop around spinal joints, ligaments and other tissues, the result is a loss of joint motion of that joint. If the scarring affected nervous tissue, nerve damage can result, leaving numbness, tingling, sensory changes and muscle weakness in the muscles and skin supplied by that nerve.
If being able to look over your should to check your blind spot while driving is important to you, then you should be very concerned about the loss of spinal motion.
Imagine not being able to bend forward to put on your boots or to tie your shoes. In fact, people often get used to just not being able to move freely, thinking it’s normal, when in fact without realizing it, it is due to lack of spinal motion and innocently a lack of knowledge about spinal care and how Chiropractic is important in maintaining spinal motion and ranges of motion.
We are here to help!
At My Toronto Chiropractor, Dr. Horowitz’s Chiropractic treatments focus primarily on the causes of your back problems and not just the symptoms. This leads to more rapid and lasting pain relief and even most importantly, minimizes the chance of future back problems.
By Dr. Horowitz educating patients about their specific condition and prescribing specific exercises at the right time, patients feel more empowered to carry through with self-care. This reduces their fear of re-injuring themselves and helps prevent future reoccurrences.
Pain is a signal, telling us that something is wrong. Rather than ignoring it, we are wise to take heed of it. If you are experiencing neurological/nerve type problems such as leg weakness, leg pain, numbness or tingling it is wise to seek professional care as soon as possible.
You don’t need to suffer in silence!
Call My Toronto Chiropractor Health Clinic at (647) 349-4909 for an appointment or ask Dr. Horowitz a question by submitting the form below: