Mainstream medicine has a poor record of treatment and management for lower back pain, leading to the steady growth of alternative health care providers. Consumer Reports and Men's health have endorsed alternative approaches such as chiropractic for their effectiveness and safety with back pain, yet most medical providers do not regularly refer to these types of providers. The medical approach for back pain has caused many people to suffer from chronic back problems, failed surgeries as well as opioid addictions that were avoidable. The idea of managing back pain without a firm understanding of what is being treated is part of the problem with the medical reductionist approach to mechanical problems such as lower back pain. A reductionist approach looks at the body as a series of parts, rather than the holistic view of seeing the body as systems that are integrated. Alternative/complementary providers such as chiropractors on the other hand have a growing list of studies that suggest they offer better options, better treatment experiences. A multi-faceted approach of manipulation, exercise, muscle treatment and foot orthotics resolves many chronic and acute episodes of back pain. The holistic patient-centered care approach of the person, rather than a one size fits all protocol-driven approach toward the painful area only, common in the mainstream medical approach is what separates chiropractors from most other types of healthcare practitioners. Lower back pain is the reason for the visit, yet the problem is often caused elsewhere in the body. A holistic approach is therefore the only sensible way to accurately assess and treat the problem more effectively. Many chiropractors are now using treat - test - treat protocols to assure that their goals for the visit are reached and their treatment for that visit was effective, using methods known as active evaluation. Patients looking for a more cost-effective approach with a high deductible plan will appreciate an approach that is less wasteful and more likely to help them resolve long-standing problems such as lower back pain. Recent information regarding back pain in females also draws a strong link to C-section scars as a leading cause. Hernia scars are also implicated as well as other types of abdominal scars from previous surgeries. A practitioner trained in myofascial release can make a huge difference in how these people feel and function. There is growing evidence that suggests early intervention with an abdominal scar can help someone avoid future back pain caused by active scars (scars that are symptomatic). Recently., Vox magazine published an article that reviewed over 80 studies that are suggesting that for back pain, you should stay away from medication and see an alternative healthcare provider. Consumer Reports suggests that chiropractors have the highest level of satisfaction for the treatment of back pain when compared to other alternative/complementary healthcare providers. You can check out the article below. A comprehensive guide to the new science of treating lower back pain A review of 80-plus studies upends conventional wisdom. By Julia Belluz Welcome to Show Me the Evidence, where we go beyond the frenzy of daily headlines to take a deeper look at the state of science around the most pressing health questions of the day. Cathryn Jakobson Ramin’s back pain started when she was 16, on the day she flew off her horse and landed on her right hip. For the next four decades, Ramin says her back pain was like a small rodent nibbling at the base of her spine. The aching left her bedridden on some days and made it difficult to work, run a household, and raise her two boys. By 2008, after Ramin had exhausted what seemed like all her options, she elected to have a “minimally invasive” nerve decompression procedure. But the $8,000 operation didn’t fix her back, either. The same pain remained, along with new neck aches. Read more