On February 14th, 2017 The American College of Physicians has published a new evidence-based clinical practice guideline encouraging primary care and medical physicians to seek the use of nonpharmacologic therapies for patients with low back pain. This recommendation comes as a result of a recent study published in Annals of Internal Medicine insisting that “physicians should avoid prescribing […] costly and potentially harmful drugs, especially narcotics, for these patients.”
According to these guidelines, “clinicians should advise patients with lower back pain to select a nonpharmacologic approach to treat their conditions…[such as] spinal manipulation, massage, acupuncture and exercise therapy”. Furthermore, they encourage that treatments such as “…exercise, multidisciplinary rehabilitation, acupuncture, or spinal manipulation” are to be used in first response to treating chronic lower back pain.
These guidelines come part in response to the growing addiction to prescription medication, with nearly 80% of heroin addicts reported as starting with a reliance on prescribed opioid pain medication.
What you need to know:
The alternative therapies recommended by the guideline are not routinely prescribed by family doctors but offered at Advanced Chiropractic & Rehab, Dr. Lyons and his team make up a multi-disciplinary rehabilitation practice offering most of the alternative therapies suggested by these new guidelines.
About Dr. Lyons
Dr. Lyons is an expert Chiropractor with a passion for helping people live the best quality of life possible. He has experience and education in offering what the new guidelines suggest. He holds advanced board certifications in functional and corrective exercises along with chiropractic sports medicine and is certified in many therapeutic procedures such as trigger point dry needling and Graston Technique.
If you are or know of a person suffering from back pain who is currently being prescribed medicine to mask the problem, please have them visit our website at advchiro.com or give us a call at (330)726-7404.