Can Chiropractic Care Help Reduce The Growing Opiod Crisis?

An interesting 2016 study looked at how the number of Chiropractors in an area and amount of Medicare dollars spent on Chiropractic Care correlated with the amount of opiod use by younger Medicare recipients.

These were neck and back pain sufferers younger than 65 years of age and on Medicare.

This group is often on Medicare for disability with neck pain and back pain being among the leading causes of this disability.

Here’s what the authors found when evaluating Chiropractic Use for these pain sufferers…

The greater the number of DCs (Doctors of Chiropractic) in an area, the lower the amount of opiate prescriptions in the younger Medicare population.
The more money Medicare spent on Chiropractic, the lower the number of opiate prescriptions in the same younger population.

The authors commented,

“Our findings suggest that, at least in this younger Medicare population, greater availability and use of an alternative spine pain treatment (Chiropractic instead of medication) may be associated with a lower prevalence of opioid users.”

They go on to make a strong suggestion for reducing the opiod crisis,

“Addressing the increase in opioid use and the sequelae of such use should be a public health priority.”

“America’s opioid epidemic might be reduced should Medicare consider a clinical trial of chiropractic spinal manipulation prior to conventional medical care for patients with neck or back pain.”

“Based upon our findings, we suggest that Medicare consider promoting a trial of Chiropractic Manipulative Therapy prior to use of conventional medical care for patients with neck or back pain.”

In their research the authors found that once a neck pain or back pain sufferer was prescribed an opiod, they were less likely to use a Chiropractor and the relationships noted above were no longer present.

This led them to suggest seeing a Chiropractor First, before an MD for neck pain and back pain in order to prevent the likelihood of being prescribed an opiate medication.

Quoted from the study,

“The rationale for use of Chiropractic Treatment prior to Medical Care is that concurrent medical care might result in opioid prescriptions; however, further study that examines opioid use when CMT and conventional medical care are concurrently provided is warranted.”

Taken from the researchers, why Chiropractic Care Should Be The First Line Of Treatment for these pain sufferers:

1. Increasing Chiropractic Use may both help stem the growth of opioid use and also reduce healthcare expenditures for the treatment of spine pain. Meaning greater Chiropractic treatment reduces opiate use AND reduces healthcare costs.

2. Increasing Chiropractic Use is likely to offset the demand for primary Medical care services. Meaning more Chiropractic Care results in less pain reliever medication.

3. Increasing Chiropractic Use may effectively expand the primary care workforce. Meaning Chiropractic is likely to get help people the help they need (and maybe even get them back to work if on disability).

4. Increasing Chiropractic Use may reduces demand on the SSDI (social security and disability) program.

5. Using chiropractic care first for back pain has been associated with reduced disability rates at one year after injury.

6. Avoiding use of opiates has been associated with lower disability rates one year following injury.

This research again supports the use of Chiropractic Care in order to help people recover from spinal pain.

Maybe Chiropractic should not be considered an alternative treatment for neck pain and back pain, but as this research strongly suggests…

Chiropractic Treatment should be the primary first treatment for neck pain and back pain sufferers in order to reduce pain, decrease disability, reduce health care costs, and help prevent opiate use.

If you live in the Texarkana area and would like to see Dr. Hagebusch at our Texarkana clinic, Contact Us… We’re Here To Help!

Reference:

More Chiropractic Care = Less Opiate Use

Can Chiropractic Care Help Reduce The Growing Opiod Crisis?

Here’s what the authors found when evaluating Chiropractic Use for these pain sufferers…

They go on to make a strong suggestion for reducing the opiod crisis,

This led them to suggest seeing a Chiropractor First, before an MD for neck pain and back pain in order to prevent the likelihood of being prescribed an opiate medication.

Taken from the researchers, why Chiropractic Care Should Be The First Line Of Treatment for these pain sufferers:

This research again supports the use of Chiropractic Care in order to help people recover from spinal pain.

Chiropractic Treatment should be the primary first treatment for neck pain and back pain sufferers in order to reduce pain, decrease disability, reduce health care costs, and help prevent opiate use.

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Can Chiropractic Care Help Reduce The Growing Opiod Crisis?

Here’s what the authors found when evaluating Chiropractic Use for these pain sufferers…

They go on to make a strong suggestion for reducing the opiod crisis,

This led them to suggest seeing a Chiropractor First, before an MD for neck pain and back pain in order to prevent the likelihood of being prescribed an opiate medication.

Taken from the researchers, why Chiropractic Care Should Be The First Line Of Treatment for these pain sufferers:

This research again supports the use of Chiropractic Care in order to help people recover from spinal pain.

Chiropractic Treatment should be the primary first treatment for neck pain and back pain sufferers in order to reduce pain, decrease disability, reduce health care costs, and help prevent opiate use.

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