By: Mark Studin DC, FPSC, FASBE(C), DAAPM
Citation: Studin M., (November, 2024) Medical and PT Management of Chronic LBP Continues to Fail and Bypass Chiropractic, Despite Significant Positive Outcomes, Dynamic Chiropractic, Retrieved from: https://dynamicchiropractic.com/article/102497-medical-and-pt-management-of-chronic-lbp-continues-to-fail-and-bypass-chiropractic?utm_source=DCNU&utm_medium=Standard&utm_campaign=20241111&utm_term=14&utm_content=102497&s=81697&l=13
Despite efforts from clinicians and researchers to understand disease mechanisms and to develop new treatment paradigms, the burden of nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP) continues to rise. (deBruin et al. 2024)
Chronic low back pain (CLBP) continues to be one of the leading causes of disability and healthcare expenditures globally. Low back pain is reportedly benign and self-limiting yet affects 20% of the world's population and is widely accepted as non-specific. CLBP has affected "quality of life" issues such as work, social issues, and retirements related to disability. Societal costs for CLBP are perhaps the highest of all health conditions, including absenteeism and decreased productivity (de Bruin et al.). CLBP has been associated as a cause, from somatic to psychosocial factors, with physical therapy continuing to be the "first line" of treatment, albeit with an unclear approach that the physical therapists should take. (Broncini et al.)
In medicine, low back pain (LBP) and CLBP fall under non-specific LBP and is defined by pain without an anatomical pathology readily seen (i.e., fracture, tumor, infection, herniations). In essence, it is pain without a pathoanatomical cause. (Chrobok et al. 2024) Herein lies the root of the problem.
"Despite evidence for managing low back pain, the gap between the evidence and practice is pervasive. (Foster et al., 2018) This is evidenced by too many highly regarded medical institutions continuing to recommend less successful pathways to help curb opioid use. States such as New York are taking opioid reduction to the next level and recently signed into law S.4640. A mandate for providers to consider opiate alternatives, including allopathic non-opioid and non-allopathic pathways to treat neuromusculoskeletal conditions before prescribing opioids. Regarding the largest users of opioids, back pain
patients, which account for approximately 50% of opioid use, the care path should follow the evidence in the literature. The arbiter for low back pain, as all treatment should follow evidence-based outcomes.
Even though there are many stakeholders in this $750 billion back pain industry, the evidence shows that physical therapy realizes upwards of an 80% increase in opioids in 90% of patients, with a 0% reeducation in the last 10%. In contrast, chiropractic has a 55% reduction in opioid use for the same population of low back pain patients with a 74% decrease in opioid drug costs. Consistent with those statistics, chiropractic has reduced secondary disability by 313% compared to physical therapy for back-related conditions and by 239% for primary disability (Blanchette et al., 2017), where medicine is diagnosing 95% of patients with low back pain as nonspecific and predominantly referring to perpetual failed pathways. At the same time, chiropractic helps 96% of its patients (based on a cohort of 8,000,033 over four years), including low back pain (Ntedan et al., 2020). This is not a referendum against physical therapy or medicine, as collaboration with every healthcare discipline is required, and each provider brings a unique skill set to the healthcare marketplace. However, with low back pain, the evidence in the literature strongly suggests that to help eradicate the low back pain epidemic and reduce the use and costs of opioids, chiropractic should be the first provider." (Studin et al. 2024)
Currently, in developed countries, current management strategies for CLBP primarily emphasize non-pharmacological interventions, such as:
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A psychological approach to help patients manage pain by changing how they perceive and react to it.
• Exercise: Tailored physical activity to strengthen muscles, improve mobility, and reduce pain.
• Biopsychosocial Management: Addressing physical, psychological, and social factors contributing to pain.
• Educational Interventions: Teaching patients about pain management techniques and how to prevent future episodes.
The following regimen is currently considered "appropriate for CLBP; this includes—pharmacological treatment.
• Routine Imaging: Such as X-rays or MRIs, often followed by
• Prescription medications
o Paracetamol (acetaminophen)
o Opioids
o Serotonin-type drugs, antidepressants, or anticonvulsants for pain control.
• Extensive use of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs
• Passive Therapies: Sick leave, rest, massage, and heat therapy
• Manual Therapy: Techniques like joint movements and mobilization performed by healthcare professionals, including chiropractors.
• Routine Imaging: Such as X-rays or MRIs, often followed by prescription medications like Paracetamol (acetaminophen), opioids, serotonin-type drugs, antidepressants, or anticonvulsants for pain control. (Ampiah et al. 2024)
To help resolve the non-specific back pain and CLBP issues, emergency departments have placed physical therapists in the ERs in an attempt to provide early intervention. The results were the same as those of the general population worldwide. It was reported that the effects of physiotherapeutic intervention had only minimal improvement in disability but without a reduction in pain. (Chrobok et al. 2024) This raises the question as to why an unsuccessful care path would be duplicated, expecting different results.
In 2024, based on a focused literature review of treatments for CLBP, many therapies emerged or re-emerged in new applications of existing care. Connective tissue massage, dry needling, dry needling with exercise, lumbar bracing and other assistive devices, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, shoulder soft tissue treatments, and laser acupuncture.
Despite the variety of conventional treatments, excluding chiropractic care in many approaches is a missed opportunity to enhance patient outcomes by reducing disability, absenteeism, and decreased productivity. Chiropractic interventions have shown effectiveness in managing musculoskeletal issues like CLBP, and they should be considered the "primary spine care provider" or first option for mechanical spine pain based on evidence-based outcomes. This includes working collaboratively with other providers as clinically indicated.
When reviewing the dates of evidence in the literature supporting chiropractic's efficacy—based on patient outcomes—it becomes clear that this research predates the 2024 current reports referenced in this article of rising incidences of chronic low back pain (CLBP), "regurgitating failed treatments," and worsening societal statistics while ignoring chiropractic outcomes. This raises the question: why is an entire care path that disproves the label of "non-specific low back pain" being ignored? Yet, the tag of NSLBP is "dogmatically held on to" despite the positive outcomes rendered by 8,000,033 LBP sufferers with chiropractic care.
References:
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