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Prescriptions of Opioids Pre and Post Back Surgery for San Jose Back Pain, Chiropractic Care May Reduce Rxs and Pain

Opioid use for pain has been a common treatment. Its use is a little too much so as medicine today is even attempting to slow its prescription. For back surgery patients, it’s been quite common, both before and/or after back surgery. Though today the use of opioids is being less encouraged, many back pain sufferers find themselves with opioid prescriptions from their healthcare providers. Chiropractic Solutions would love to be the first healthcare provider San Jose back pain and neck pain patients see and truly welcome the opportunity to care for 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 have the skills to help.

BACK SURGERY OUTCOME PREDICTORS: # of Rx Prescribers and # of Rx Prescriptions

Very few hurry into back surgery. Back pain sufferers often look for relief 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% 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 had was a predictor for poorer surgical outcomes including lower 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 interesting and seemingly side note to the study was that if a nonoperative spine provider was involved in the case, an increased 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 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 relieve, the return of pain can be frustrating. Some return to the medical model and get new pain medication prescriptions or prolonged prescriptions for the post-surgery meds. Others turn to chiropractic care. A new study of such patients who sought chiropractic care with chiropractors who are certified in Cox® Technic spinal manipulation (manual spinal decompression manipulation) reported that of the 59 patients in the study, 11 entered the study utilizing opioid medications. Eight of them self-reported that they reduced or discontinued their use. Three said they continued their use. (2) This is hopeful for many post-surgical continued pain patients that not having to take pain meds as the only way to pain relief may be possible. Chiropractic Solutions is San Jose’s post-surgical back pain provider to consult for Cox® Technic treatment.

CONTACT Chiropractic Solutions

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Marc Baker on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes 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 San Jose chiropractic appointment soon. If you have undergone back surgery, currently take pain meds, opioids, or not, we are looking forward to seeing and helping you.

San Jose chiropractic care to reduce pain after back surgery and potentially patient choice to use opioids 
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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."