Tag: Annals of Internal Medicine

Chronic pain; potent drugs do not work so what does according to Consumer Reports?

Posted on by bill
Chronic pain; potent drugs do not work so what does according to Consumer Reports? Whom should you visit first for a problem with chronic pain?  Is Fibromyalgia a real disease or is a manifestation of chronic pain gone bad?  Should chronic pain be a normal part of aging? Why is it so difficult to get effective care for why you ache without searching for a bottle of pills. A while ago a patient told me this humorous story; A patient of his would always look at his grandfather when he got up in the morning.  He would sit up in Read More »

Back pain, sciatic pain and movement; here’s what the experts are recommending you should do now.

Posted on by bill
Back pain, sciatic pain and movement; here’s what the experts are recommending you should do now. In February of 2017, the Annals of internal medicine guidelines were published regarding back pain treatments. Their message was that the non-pharmacologic and non interventional treatments were more effective, and safer. Conservative non drug back pain recommended treatments include exercise, multidisciplinary rehabilitation, acupuncture, mindfulness-based stress reduction (moderate-quality evidence), tai chi, yoga, motor control exercise, progressive relaxation, electromyography biofeedback, low-level laser therapy, operant therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, or spinal manipulation (low-quality evidence). (Grade: strong recommendation). Most users of chiropractic care felt that finally, the medical communities premier Read More »

Men’s Health and Consumer Reports recently endorsed chiropractic for back pain and more

Posted on by bill
Men’s Health and Consumer Reports recently endorsed chiropractic for back pain and more The last couple of months has been filled with publications  that suggest chiropractic should be your first choice professional for back problems and many other painful conditions.   Last February, the Annals of Internal Medicine told healthcare providers to say no to drugs for back pain and yes to about anything else with evidence based suggestions recommendations on which treatments may work .   This was an acknowledgement that medications are being overused and causing harm to those who seek help, with Opioids grabbing the most headlines this past year.   It also suggested Read More »

Chronic pain, skeptical healthcare providers and those whose drugless approaches to pain offer solid relief.

Posted on by bill
Chronic pain, skeptical healthcare providers and those whose drugless approaches to pain offer solid relief. A couple of months ago, the Annals of Internal Medicine had published their guidelines that basically said no to medication for lower back pain.   The conservative medical community continues their skepticism of so called alternative providers such as naturopaths, chiropractors and acupuncturists, based on old beliefs that there is little evidence to show that these approaches are effective, yet many of their patients went alternative after their approaches either did not work or caused a harmful side effect.   Are they listening to their patients needs Read More »

EKG’s may not be needed says a new guideline in The Annals of Internal Medicine according to the NY Times

Posted on by bill
EKG’s may not be needed says a new guideline in The Annals of Internal Medicine according to the NY Times The typical annual physical many of us have had over the years included an EKG to make sure our hearts were functioning normally. According to a new guideline from the American College of Physicians, this screen (as we have found out with many others over the past three years) may be a total waste of money and be unnecessary. While some will argue that the EKG saved their life, the data leading up to the recommendation likely tells a very Read More »