Opioid use for pain has
been a customary treatment. Its use is a little too common as medicine today is even attempting to slow 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. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
would love to be the first healthcare provider Toronto
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 experienced
single-level fusion surgeries retained one or less opioid prescription
prescribers before surgery while 33.1% employed more than
one opioid prescribers. The more pre-surgical opioid prescribers in a back surgery
patient’s case was a predictor of increased 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 involved in the case, a
higher improvement in leg pain VAS scores was noted. (1)
Chiropractic is a profession of nonoperative spine providers! We chiropractors
are ready and well-trained to help control
back pain before and after surgery and give patients a chance
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 experience back pain in the same
area that the surgery was supposed to relieve, the return of pain
can be frustrating. Some return to the medical
model and get new pain medication prescriptions or extended
prescriptions for the post-surgery meds. Others turn to chiropractic
care. A new 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 entered the study with
opioid medications. Eight of them self-reported that they reduced
or discontinued 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]. Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre is Toronto’s post-surgical
back pain provider to visit for Cox® Technic treatment.
CONTACT Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
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 Toronto chiropractic
appointment today. If you’ve had
back surgery, now taking pain meds, opioids,
or not, we are looking forward to seeing and helping
you.