Data. Data. Data. We humans
are well studied: our diseases,
our habits, our lives. In healthcare, data and stats can be quite
helpful in improving care, particularly path for low back pain management from conservative, non-surgical to surgical when
required. In McHenry OrthoIllinois Chiropractic is proficient
in managing this flow of back pain care and in referring when/if needed.
LOW BACK PAIN MANAGEMENT DATA
The global leading cause of
disability is low back pain. Diagnosis of the cause of low
back pain – spinal stenosis, radiculopathy, non-specific and specific low back
pain – is key to managing it. A new study stated
that low back examination tests alone aren’t always useful
on their own. (1) That’s why OrthoIllinois Chiropractic correlates
everything - your history, current pain, exam tests’ results, imaging, and more
- to establish a diagnosis as well as a treatment plan.
And not all back pain sufferers have to visit specialists
like spinal surgeons. Even the surgeons appreciate it
when patients who need their expertise (surgical
skills) are sent to them. One recent study pointed
out that of 500 cases sent to a neurosurgeon, only 22% were
surgical candidates. 80% of referrals made during the study’s timeframe were thought to be not appropriate.
The researchers wrote that “triaging approaches led by
musculoskeletal experts may improve referral appropriateness to specialized
care.” (2) OrthoIllinois Chiropractic agrees and is prepared to perform
that role. Your McHenry chiropractor specializes in the diagnosis and management of low back pain
and knows when to refer for specialized treatment like advanced
imaging, surgery, etc.
STATS ON CHIROPRACTIC BACK PAIN PATIENT CARE
In the chiropractic realm of healthcare,
Care Response is a filled database of info from
chiropractic patients around the world. It’s been collecting
data for over 10 years regarding patient satisfaction. Two main
points of feedback were on what chiropractic patients felt was
good about their care and what could be improved. The good incorporated
clinical outcomes (less pain, better
function, being understood as having pain and its cause), examination and explanation
of the condition and its treatment, professionalism, friendliness, feeling
valued as a person, safety, comfort, and punctuality. There is always room for
improvement, and patients shared that they wanted to
not be rushed during the visit, wanted to feel understood, wanted good
outcomes, etc. (3) OrthoIllinois Chiropractic strives to concentrate
on you during your time at our McHenry chiropractic office.
CHIROPRACTIC IMPROVES QUALITY OF LIFE
As your McHenry chiropractor, OrthoIllinois Chiropractic works
to deliver the ‘good’! And we take it one step further to enhance
quality of life for our low back pain patients. The most recent
series of questions to help evaluate patients for
these outcomes is called PROMIS that covers
function, pain interference, pain intensity, fatigue, sleep, depression,
anxiety, satisfaction in social life, mental health, etc. The final word from all the collected data found that patients (1)
improved significantly and felt they did, (2) improved significantly but didn’t think they did, (3) did not improve significantly
but felt they did, (4) did not improve significantly or report
feeling better. (4) We strive for the ideal #1 outcome explained
above, and we want you to tell us how you feel you are.
CONTACT OrthoIllinois Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Coleman Cormier on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he
illustrates the relief of low back pain in a patient with a disc
herniation using The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain
Management.
Make your McHenry chiropractic
appointment soon. OrthoIllinois Chiropractic studies the stats
to best deliver quality of life-improving care for our McHenry low
back pain patients.