The American Chiropractic Association has recommended chiropractic therapy as the best cost effective therapy for back pain relief and observed that scans lead to unnecessary back pain relief surgery, which typically involves high cost and significant after effects. Chiropractic treatment has long been recommended as the best conservative method of treating chronic back pain. Many medical bodies have in fact recommended alternatives in the form of non-pharmacological treatment such as chiropractic and massage therapy.
 
Recent medical bulletins have mentioned that imaging tests are found to be unnecessary as a procedure prior to the surgical treatment of back pain. Surgery should be seen as the last resort after other alternative methods of treatment have been tried and exhausted. Patients who are asked to undergo imaging tests have been advised to give consent only when the back pain becomes worse and unbearable after undergoing alternative treatments.
 
Medical associations and journals have simultaneously recommended that when all other forms of treatments, such as medicine, massage, self-care, and chiropractic treatment have been proved unsuccessful, that the last resort is to undergo image testing before undergoing surgery. Medical associations recommend following conservative and preventive measures for back pain relief as the primary solution rather than undergo imaging tests and surgery.
 
Patients should be made aware that there are natural options available for the treatment of back pain instead for opting for surgery.

Scans Lead To Unnecessary Back Pain Relief Surgery

Scans for back pain are sometimes unnecessary, unless there are other warning signs - researchers say.... having an MRI scan may lead to unnecessary surgery

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) commends a new effort by the American College of Physicians (ACP) to steer patients with back pain, as well as their doctors, to chiropractic and other low-cost, “high value” treatments before opting for more expensive choices such as surgery.

 

The campaign’s message reinforces ACA’s longstanding recommendation of cost-effective, conservative care as a first line of defense against pain.

 

This is not the first time that ACP’s evidence-based guidelines have supported the use of conservative care for conditions such as chronic lower back pain. In 2007, the Annals of Internal Medicine published low-back pain guidelines developed by the American Pain Society and the American College of Physicians recommending that, for patients who do not improve with self-care, doctors should consider non-pharmacologic therapies such as chiropractic care, massage therapy and acupuncture.

 

ACP’s latest campaign, launched in mid-April, features a brochure about treating lower-back pain. The brochure states that imaging tests, which were found to be costly and often unnecessary, can lead to needless back surgery. In fact, surgery was named as a last

 

resort-after all conservative options are exhausted. Patients were, however, advised to consent to imaging tests if they have signs of severe or worsening nerve damage or of a serious underlying problem.

 

“The healthcare crisis in the U.S. is leading many in the healthcare community to draw the same conclusions that doctors of chiropractic have had all along,” said ACA President Dr. Keith Overland. “We urge healthcare providers, whenever possible, to recommend preventive, conservative interventions for their patients before prescribing medications or performing surgery. Patients deserve to know that there are natural options.”

 

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Having many other options in the treatment of chronic back pain, surgery should be the last resort as it can sometimes be the case that scans lead to unnecessary back pain relief surgery. Scans and surgery may be avoided as long as the pain can be relieved with alternative forms of treatment.

Dr. David Hanscom’s specializes in Spinal Deformity and salvage operations. This video talks about the cost of unnecessary surgeries and the emotional toll that it can have on patients.

When to have surgery for low back pain. Dr. Donald Cornman is one of only a handful of back experts that is both a GP and chiropractor.

 
Find more valuable info on how to get rid of your back pain quicker by reading The Seven Day Back Pain Cure – Grab it now for free while stocks last!