What doctors of chiropractic hear daily about back pain is disturbing; here’s why. Patients have tried Injections nerve blocks physical therapy medications nerve ablation. Sleeping in a recliner What is a common factor in all of this? Doctors, regardless of specialty, have failed to help the patient who suffers from back pain and years later, we have permanent damage in the spine and the joints of the body. While it is widely understood that healthcare is more art than science, what is charged for the MRI’s, medications, nerve blocks, and more for treatments based on a poor evaluation or treatment method is absurd. Worse, patients become more chronic until they meet someone willing to be holistic and thorough and stop looking at just the back and the tests. According to the Journal of Orthopedic Translation, 8–40% of patients who received lumbar spine surgery have intractable lower back pain (1). Many of these patients continue visiting surgeons and end up having more procedures and more pain. More of these problems now exist because many patients visit their primary doctor in large systems, who then refer to specialists in the medical system. The incentive is to do procedures, not to cure your back problems, resulting in more chronicity, more joint damage, and more pain. For many sufferers of back pain, this is all too familiar. Often, these problems can be detected when we are young, but since the system relies on symptoms rather than mechanics, doctors will create a condition they can bill to an insurance company and get paid. This dinosaur mentality is designed to make you fit the medical system with your condition. So many sufferers of back and leg pain begin their problems in their youth, and often, the problems begin in the feet. 50 years later, patients have knee, hip, shoulder, neck, and even hand and arm problems. Many of these issues could have been prevented by beginning chiropractic care in our youth. Little Johnny’s shin pain may be a result of inherited traits from his parents. We need a different paradigm that is evidence-based and rewards results. The problem is caused by looking past the patient and evaluating only the lower back. Patients in pain are desperate for a solution. They will spend thousands of dollars to have the tests and procedures, and it is our job as healthcare providers to do no harm. Forums are filled with desperate patients on Facebook and other places asking for help. Often, it is filled with questions like which medication they should take for the symptom rather than how to find a solution. This can be caused by desperation, but there are many reasons, including high deductibles that leave them underinsured, the fear of an unreasonably high bill, or the fear of a surgery that can do more harm than help. Screenshot One group of doctors is often underutilized yet has the best results for problems such as back pain and even sciatic pain. Chiropractors are often underutilized, but their holistic approach to body mechanics often helps, as they are a one-stop shop for problems such as back pain, leg pain, shoulder problems, neck pain, vertigo, and even knee and foot issues. Sports chiropractors, who are certified or diplomate-level, often use a primary care approach to movement and function and will include manipulation of the joints, myofascial evaluation and techniques, and exercises. You don’t need multiple specialists and thousands of dollars. You need a chiropractor. Chiropractors will refer you to the medical system for painful conditions and order an MRI if necessary, but most patients improve quickly and avoid interventions and medications that can cause harm long-term. A while ago, I posted this video on social media, and it speaks volumes about why chiropractic helps. Watch it below. J Orthop Translat 2023 Sep 30;42:147–159. doi: 10.1016/j.jot.2023.07.003 Need help today? Book online or call either our North Brunswick or Scotch Plains offices today https://www.backfixer1.com/request-appointment/