CF 304: Interesting Thoughts On Low Back & Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy Today we’re going to talk about Interesting Thoughts On Low Back & Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy But first, here’s that sweet sweet bumper music
Purchase Dr. Williams’s book, a perfect educational tool and chiropractic research reference for the daily practitioner, from the Amazon store TODAY!
OK, we are back and you have found the Chiropractic Forward Podcast where we are making evidence-based chiropractic fun, profitable, and accessible while we make you and your patients better all the way around. We’re the fun kind of research. Not the stuffy, high-brow, look down your nose at people kind of research. We’re research talk over a couple of beers.
I’m Dr. Jeff Williams and I’m your host for the Chiropractic Forward podcast.I’m so glad you’re spending your time with us learning together. Chiropractors – I’m hiring at my personal clinic. I need talent, ambition, drive, smart, and easy to get along with associates. If this is you and Amarillo, TX is your speed, send me an email at creekstonecare@gmail.com
If you haven’t yet I have a few things you should do.
Go to Amazon and check our my book called The Remarkable Truth About Chiropractic: A Unique Journey Into The Research. It’s excellent educational resource for you AND your patients. It saves you time putting talks together or just staying current on research. It’s categorized into sections so the information is easy to find and written in a way that is easy to understand for everyone. It’s on Amazon. That’s the Remarkable Truth About Chiropractic by Jeff Williams.
Then go Like our Chiropractic Forward Facebook page,
Join our private Chiropractic Forward Facebook group, and then
Review our podcast on whatever platform you’re listening to
Last thing real quick, we also have an evidence-based brochure and poster store at chiropracticforward.com
You have found yourself smack dab in the middle of Episode #304
Now if you missed last week’s episode , we talked about Hip Pain And Corticosteroids & Chronic Pain After Spinal Surgery. Make sure you don’t miss that info. Keep up with the class.On the personal end of things….. We’re going to go quickly today. I have only a three day week this week because the fam and I are headed to Orlando this week for my Mastermind meeting
If you do not recall, I’m in Dr Kevin Christie’s group and there are about 25 of us. We meet once per quarter and this will be our last one of the year.
It’s always good to get around people that are doing big things. I’d say I’m probably somewhere in the middle of the group. Some are doing bigger things that I am and some are not. Some are right where Imm at but in a different way. The point is I can learn from each of them and they can learn from me. That’s the essence of a mastermind group I suppose.
Dr Christie has started a second Mastermind group now and this one is more for those in the western parts of the USA. I highly recommend listening to him on his Modern Chiropractic Mastery podcast and connecting with him either through email or through his Facebook group if the same name
Masterminds are valuable. I don’t take trips once per quarter taking time out if my clinic for small silly stuff. This is big and you should be a part of it if you can be. Next, poaching employees from other chiropractors in your area. General business tip:
I’ve had a local chiropractor go after and poach two of my providers (acupuncture & massage) in less than two months.
The tip is, don’t be a douchebag. Hire and train your own damn people, folks. I had invested years into each of these two people and helped them build their clientele and they were VERY well treated and paid. Which I feel is mostly on them. That doesn’t mean I don’t need to look into our own setup to try to understand how they could do what they did.
However, not just one, but two in less than two months……that’s dirty and has me hoppin’ mad.
We came out on top big time on the acupuncturist. Without a doubt. The same will happen with the LMT. He just doesn’t know it yet. I’m happy he got the acupuncturist. It solved a big problem for me. Our new one is better and easier to do business with. I’m actually OK with him getting that particular LMT. I still have two others. All parties involved over there are going to learn some lessons from each other.
It’s not really about the individuals. It’s about the principle. I’ve never gone after my colleagues’ staff and never would. In fact, I’ve had MULTIPLE opportunities to poach others’ staff and told them I could not hire them because of my relationship with their boss.
So, if you like making enemies out of your colleagues, going after their staff is a perfect way to do it. Item #1 OK, this first one this week is called “The mediating effect of social functioning on the relationship between catastrophizing and pain among patients with chronic low back pain” by Papianou et. Al. and published in Pain Medicine in November 2023. Schiza!! It’s muy caliente, my friends. Three languages in six words. Pow. Citation is in the show notes, folks
Lauren N Papianou, Jenna M Wilson, Robert R Edwards, Christine B Sieberg, Samantha M Meints, The mediating effect of social functioning on the relationship between catastrophizing and pain among patients with chronic low back pain, Pain Medicine, Volume 24, Issue 11, November 2023, Pages 1244–1250, https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnad093Why They Did It
Pain catastrophizing can be characterized as an interpersonal form of coping used to elicit support or empathy from others. Despite intentions of increasing support, catastrophizing can impair social functioning.
While considerable work has addressed the relationship between catastrophizing and pain, limited empirical work has examined this relationship within a social context.
First, we examined the role of catastrophizing as a potential contributor to group differences (chronic low back pain [cLBP] vs pain-free controls) in social functioning.
Then they conducted a follow-up, exploratory analysis to examine the relationships between catastrophizing, social functioning, and pain within the subgroup of participants with cLBP.
What They Found
Participants with cLBP reported higher levels of pain, impaired social functioning, and higher catastrophizing compared to pain-free controls.
Catastrophizing partially mediated the group difference in impaired social functioning.
Additionally, social functioning mediated the association between higher catastrophizing and greater pain within the subgroup of cLBP participants.
Wrap It Up
We showed that impaired social functioning was driving the relationship between higher pain catastrophizing and worse pain among participants with cLBP.
Interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, should address catastrophizing in individuals with cLBP, while simultaneously improving social functioning.
Before getting to the next one,
Next thing, go to https://www.tecnobody.com/en/products That’s Tecnobody as in T-E-C-nobody. They literally have the most impressive clinical equipment I’ve ever seen. I own the ISO Free and am looking to add more to my office this year or next. The equipment you’re going to find over there can be marketed in your community like crazy because you’ll be the only one with something that damn cool in your office. When you decide you can’t live without those products, send me an email and I’ll give you the hookup. They will 100% differentiate your clinic from your competitors.
I have to tell you, Dr. Chris Howson, the inventor of the Drop Release tool re-activated the code! Use the code HOTSTUFF upon purchase at droprelease.com & get $50 off your purchase. Would you like to spend 5-10 minutes doing pin and stretch and all of that? Or would you rather use a drop release to get the same or similar results in just a handful of seconds. I love it, my patients love it, and I know yours will too. droprelease.com and the discount code is HOTSTUFF. Go do it. Item #2 Our last one this week is called, “The value of Clinical signs in the diagnosis of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy – A Systematic review and Meta-analysis” by Jiang et. Al. and published in Global Spine Journal in 2023 and that’s hot enough to be some hot stuff. Jiang Z, Davies B, Zipser C, et al. The value of Clinical signs in the diagnosis of Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy – A Systematic review and Meta-analysis. Global Spine Journal. 2023;0(0). doi:10.1177/21925682231209869Why They Did It
Delayed diagnosis of degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is likely due to a combination of its subtle symptoms, incomplete neurological assessments by clinicians and a lack of public and professional awareness. Diagnostic criteria for degenerative cervical myelopathy will likely facilitate earlier referral for definitive management.
They wanted to determine (i) the diagnostic accuracy of various clinical signs and (ii) the association between clinical signs and disease severity in degenerative cervical myelopathy?
How They Did It
A search was performed to identify studies on adult patients that evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of a clinical sign used for diagnosing degenerative cervical myelopathy.
Studies were also included if they assessed the association between the presence of a clinical sign and disease severity.
The QUADAS-2 tool was used to evaluate the risk of bias of individual studies.
What They Found
This review identified eleven studies that used a control group to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of various signs.
An additional 61 articles reported on the frequency of clinical signs in a cohort of degenerative cervical myelopathy patients.
The most sensitive clinical tests for diagnosing DCM were the Tromner and hyperreflexia, whereas the most specific tests were the Babinski, Tromner, clonus and inverted supinator sign.
Five studies evaluated the association between the presence of various clinical signs and disease severity.
There was no definite association between Hoffmann sign, Babinski sign or hyperreflexia and disease severity.
Wrap It Up The presence of clinical signs suggesting spinal cord compression should encourage health care professionals to pursue further investigation, such as neuroimaging to either confirm or refute a diagnosis of DCM.
I’ll put some links to the tests at this point in the show notes at chiropracticforward.com Remember, it’s episode 304
Tromner Sign https://www.grepmed.com/images/7323/clinical-video-neurology-reflex-sign Inverted Supinator Sign Alright, that’s it. Keep on keepin’ on. Keep changing our profession from your corner of the world. The world needs evidence-based, patient-centered practitioners driving the bus. The profession needs us in the ACA and involved in leadership of state associations. So quit griping about the profession if you’re doing nothing to make it better. Get active, get involved, and make it happen.
Let’s get to the message. Same as it is every week.Store Remember the evidence-informed brochures and posters at chiropracticforward.com.
Purchase Dr. Williams’s book, a perfect educational tool and chiropractic research reference for the daily practitioner, from the Amazon store TODAY!
The Message I want you to know with absolute certainty that when Chiropractic is at its best, you can’t beat the risk vs reward ratio because spinal pain is primarily a movement-related pain and typically responds better to movement-related treatment rather than chemical treatments like pills and shots.
When compared to the traditional medical model, research and clinical experience show us patients can get good to excellent results for headaches, neck pain, back pain, and joint pain to name just a few.
It’s safe and cost-effective can decrease surgeries & disability and we do it through conservative, non-surgical means with minimal hassle to the patient.
And, if the patient treats preventatively after initial recovery, we can usually keep it that way while raising the overall level of health! Key Point: At the end of the day, patients should have the guarantee of having the best treatment that offers the least harm. When it comes to non-complicated musculoskeletal complaints….
That’s Chiropractic! Contact Send us an email at dr dot williams at chiropracticforward.com and let us know what you think of our show and tell us your suggestions for future episodes. Feedback and constructive criticism is a blessing and so are subscribes and excellent reviews on podcast platforms. We know how this works by now. If you value something, you have to share it, interact with it, review it, talk about it from time to time, and actively hit a few buttons to support it here and there when asked. It really does make a big difference.Connect We can’t wait to connect with you again next week. From the Chiropractic Forward Podcast flight deck, this is Dr. Jeff Williams saying upward, onward, and forward. Website
Social Media Links https://www.facebook.com/chiropracticforward/ Chiropractic Forward Podcast Facebook GROUP https://www.facebook.com/groups/1938461399501889/ TwitterTweets by Chiro_ForwardYouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtc-IrhlK19hWlhaOGld76Q iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/chiropractic-forward-podcast-chiropractors-practicing/id1331554445?mt=2 Player FM Link https://player.fm/series/2291021 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-chiropractic-forward-podcast-chiropractors-practicing-through TuneIn https://tunein.com/podcasts/Health–Wellness-Podcasts/The-Chiropractic-Forward-Podcast-Chiropractors-Pr-p1089415/ About the Author & Host Dr. Jeff Williams – Fellow of the International Academy of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine (FIANM) and Board Certified Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Professionals (DABFP) – Chiropractor in Amarillo, TX, Chiropractic Advocate, Author, Entrepreneur, Educator, Businessman, Marketer, and Healthcare Blogger & Vlogger
CF 201: Breast Implant Illness & Treating Chronic Pain Centrally
Today we’re going to talk about breast implant illness and then we’ll talk about chronic pain and new research around treating it centrally vs. peripherally. But first, here’s that sweet sweet bumper music
Purchase Dr. Williams’s book, a perfect educational tool and chiropractic research reference for the daily practitioner, from the Amazon store TODAY!
OK, we are back and you have found the Chiropractic Forward Podcast where we are making evidence-based chiropractic fun, profitable, and accessible while we make you and your patients better all the way around. We’re the fun kind of research. Not the stuffy, high-brow kind of research. We’re research talk over a couple of beers. I’m Dr. Jeff Williams and I’m your host for the Chiropractic Forward podcast. If you haven’t yet I have a few things you should do.
Go to Amazon and check our my book called The Remarkable Truth About Chiropractic: A Unique Journey Into The Research. It’s a great resource for your patient education and for you. It saves time in putting talks together or just staying current on research. It’s categorized into sections and it’s written in a way that is easy to understand for practitioner and patient. You have to check it out. Just search for it on Amazon. That’s the Remarkable Truth About Chiropractic by Jeff Williams.
Then go Like our Facebook page,
Join our private Facebook group, and then
Review our podcast on whatever platform you’re listening to
You have found yourself smack dab in the middle of Episode #201 Now if you missed last week’s episode, we talked about the state of chiropractic through ChiroUp and Chiropractic Economics. Make sure you don’t miss that info. Keep up with the class.
On the personal end of things…..
Last week, you heard me mention spending time in Chicago at the American Council of Chiropractic Consultants and Chiropractic Forensic Sciences conference. I also mentioned getting to hang out with Dr. Michael Massey and talked a little about who Dr. Massey is and what he does. What I failed to mention is that he and Dr. Rob Pape, together, started a practice management group called Practice Mechanics. Along with that, they have a Practice Mechanics podcast and they had me on as a guest recently. It was a lot of fun and it was me answering questions rather than asking them. It was really just a great conversation about the profession, this podcast, the book I recently released, my future goals, and all kinds of other goodies. Go to the Practice Mechanics podcast and pull the trigger on episode 10. Then sit back and laugh at my dumb answers! It really was a great conversation and I was fortunate to have Mike and Rob bring me on and lead me through it. These last couple of months have truly been a whirlwind. As mentioned, I was just in Chicago.
At the beginning of September, I was in Washington DC. In August we integrated with the nurse practitioner. Late August we got an intern from Parker College. Future doctor Drake Gardner from the Tulsa, OK area. Good dude with a bright future. Then, about early September our new patient per month count exploded and rose back to where it was back before the Rona invaded our lives. In fact, I broke a record. We had somewhere around 85-90 new patients in September. In just one week I had 31 new patients. By myself. And I do a thorough exam. It’s not one of those vitalistic“live and die by the subluxation” knock down the high spot exams.
It’s not one of those exams oh crazy Chiro out in Oklahoma that tries to teach others to do like 9 new patients exams and 99 patients in 3 hours with one table. Durrr.
It’s one you would expect from an Ortho Diplomate. Anyway, the point is not to brag but to say damnit…., I’ve been cooking. And cooking hot with gas. And also to discuss what happens when you get so busy you are running the risk of not being able to keep up.
When your schedule is full I have been told you need to either hire help or raise prices to thin the herd. How do we feel about that? I don’t know. I’m a capitalist. I don’t like turning away business. But I’m also empathetic. I don’t want to price myself out of the market and I don’t want people to wait a week to come to see me.
And….it’s only been this way for about 4 weeks. Who’s to say it’ll be this way in six months? I could hire someone and they stop piling in and then I’m screwed. The safer bet is to raise prices a touch. You can always backtrack that by simply putting them right back where they were.
But here’s what’s going to happen. Nothing.
I’m going to be overworked and half crazy for a while until I am 100% clear that the surge in business is here to stay. Then I’m going to try to hire an associate. And I’ll be overworked like crazy until that happens. So work work work is on my horizon. I will try my best to continue this podcast as long as I can.
Right now, I’m having to type it up on a Saturday night because I simply won’t have time during the week. We’ll see how it goes. Right now, my commitment to pumping new episodes out every week is strong. I’d offer a Patreon page and maybe try to generate some income from the podcast itself but guess what? I don’t have time!! Lol.
This all sounds doom and gloom but it’s all good. I’m blessed. I hope you are blessed as well. Griping about busy makes a guy feel guilty. But I’m not griping about being busy. I’m griping about being overwhelmed and having no time to do the things I need to do every week outside of hands-on patient treatment. That’s really what it comes down to. So stick with me. I’ll keep doing what ai do and we’ll see what comes of it, my friends.
What I do know is that I appreciate you all. Your time and attention to this podcast make it worth every second. That all turned out a little fussier than I meant. I’m usually very positive and I am positive. I’m just sharing what’s going on. I think I’m in a transition period basically. These points that stress us force us into change. My responsibility is to make certain that the change is positive and productive.
Let’s dive in!
Item #1
The first one is called “Assessment of Silicone Particle Migration Among Women Undergoing Removal or Revision of Silicone Breast Implants in the Netherlands” by Dijkman et. al. (Dijkman HBPM 2021) and published in JAMA Open on September 20, 2021 and that’s a lotta hot!
First, if you don’t know anything about this topic, I think you might be shocked.
Secondly, let’s talk about why I would include this paper on this podcast.
What does silicone breast implant leakage have to do with us as chiropractors? Well, one of my Facebook friends was openly discussing silicone leakage and illness and how she was getting her removed, and what a miserable time she had been having recently due to this leakage. I’d never heard of this being an issue so I started looking into it a bit. While some older research was pretty meh about it all, more recent research has shown an association between silicone breast implants and certain autoimmune diseases. Healthline says, “These studies suggest that silicone breast implants potentially raise your risk of developing an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome, scleroderma, and sarcoidosis.”
They also add, “The World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have identified another possibleThis relates breast implants to a rare cancer called breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). Additionally, breast implants are known to cause other potential risks such as:
scarring
breast pain
infection
sensory changes
implant leakage or rupture”
In addition to what Healthline shared, the body of this paper says, “Breast implant illness is used to describe various complications associated with silicone breast implants, ranging from brain fog, hair loss, fatigue, chest pain, sleep disturbances, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, chronic pain all over the body, and autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and fibromyalgia.” How many of these people do we see every day? So, it’s been on my radar way out on the periphery and when I saw this paper come through JAMA recently, it made sense to put it on your radar screens as well. How many patients do we have that could potentially be going through this and just never made the connection in their minds?
Why They Did It
To evaluate the existence of silicone gel bleed and migration over a long time period, including the period in which the newer cohesive silicone gel breast implants were used.
How They Did It
It was a single-center case series,
Capsule tissue and lymph node samples were collected from women who underwent removal or revision of silicone breast implants from January 1, 1986, to August 18, 2020
Data were extracted from the pathological reports and revision of the histology if data were missing.
All tissues were examined using standard light microscopy
A total of 365 women had capsular tissue removed, including 15 patients who also had lymph nodes removed, and 24 women had only lymph nodes removed.
Exposures Silicone breast implants.
The main outcome was presence or absence of silicones inside or outside the capsule.
389 women with silicone breast implants
What They Found
384 women (98.8%) had silicone particles present in the tissues, indicating silicone gel bleed. In 337 women (86.6%), silicone particles were observed outside the capsule (ie, in tissues surrounding the capsule and/or lymph nodes), indicating silicone migration. In 47 women (12.1%), silicone particles were only present within the capsule. In 5 women (1.2%), no silicone particles were detected in the tissues. Patients were divided into 2 groups, with 46 women who received cohesive silicone gel breast implants and 343 women who received either an older or a newer type of breast implant. There were no differences in silicone gel bleed or migration between groups
Wrap It Up
In this case series including women with noncohesive or cohesive silicone gel breast implants, silicone leakage occurred in 98.8% of women, indicating silicone gel bleed, and in 86.6% of women, migration of silicone particles outside the capsule was detected. We did not see differences in silicone gel bleed or migration between women who received the newer cohesive SBIs and those who received noncohesive SBIs. So, now it’s on your radars and this info could give you another avenue toward helping your patients get out of pain.
Item #2 Our last one today is called, “Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients With Chronic Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial” by Ashar et. al. (Ashar YK 2021) and published in JAMA Psychiatry on September 29, 2021 and it’s bringing the heat! They say, “Approximately 85% of cases are primary CBP, for which peripheral etiology cannot be identified, and maintenance factors include fear, avoidance, and beliefs that pain indicates injury.” I talk to my patients every day all day about beliefs, hurt vs. harm, and fear avoidance.
Why They Did It
To test whether a psychological treatment (pain reprocessing therapy [PRT]) aiming to shift patients’ beliefs about the causes and threat value of pain provides substantial and durable pain relief from primary chronic back pain and to investigate treatment mechanisms. PRT seeks to promote patients’ reconceptualization of primary (nociplastic) chronic pain as a brain-generated false alarm. PRT shares some concepts and techniques with existing treatments for pain rand with the cognitive behavioral treatment of panic disorder.
How They Did It
This randomized clinical trial with longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and 1-year follow-up assessment was conducted in a university research setting from November 2017 to August 2018,
There was a 1-year follow-up.
Clinical and fMRI data were analyzed
The study compared pain reprocessing therapy with a placebo treatment and with usual care in a community sample.
Participants randomized to pain reprocessing therapy participated in 1 telehealth session with a physician and 8 psychological treatment sessions over 4 weeks.
Treatment aimed to help patients reconceptualize their pain as due to nondangerous brain activity rather than peripheral tissue injury, using a combination of cognitive, somatic, and exposure-based techniques.
Participants randomized to placebo received a subcutaneous saline injection in the back; participants randomized to usual care continued their routine, ongoing care.
What They Found
Of 151 total participants, 33 of 50 participants (66%) randomized to PRT were pain-free or nearly pain-free at posttreatment, That’s compared with 20% randomized to placebo And 10% randomized to usual care. Treatment effects were maintained at 1-year follow-up
Wrap It Up
The authors concluded, “Psychological treatment centered on changing patients’ beliefs about the causes and threat value of pain may provide substantial and durable pain relief for people with chronic low back pain.” This is why the American College of Physicians included cognitive behavioral therapy in their recommendations for first-line treatments for chronic back pain. You can have all of the issues you can imagine present on an x-ray but the main culprit resides in the noggin. Ever heard of phantom limb pain? The pain lasted so long that the pain migrated more and more into the central, pain making part of the brain too.
They finally chopped off the peripheral problem; the limb. But it still hurt. They got rid of the peripheral source but did nothing to address the central source. THAT’S what we talking about when we mention the biopsychosocial aspect of pain. It’s no longer just a biomedical approach or issue. It’s much more when we talk about chronic pain. And it’s fascinating.
Folks, it’s about the up-regulation or sensitized central nervous system in chronic pain patients. It’s about their beliefs about their current and future abilities. It’s about fear avoidance. It’s about de-conditioning. It’s about not understanding the difference between hurt vs. harm. It’s about them being mind screwed by healthcare practitioners that didn’t understand how to properly and optimistically relay findings and a diagnosis to them.It’s about building them back up.
Alright, that’s it. Keep on keepin’ on. Keep changing our profession from your corner of the world. The world needs evidence-based, patient-centered practitioners driving the bus. The profession needs us in the ACA and involved in leadership of state associaitons. So quite griping about the profession if you’re doing nothing to better it. Get active, get involved, and make it happen. Let’s get to the message. Same as it is every week.
Purchase Dr. Williams’s book, a perfect educational tool and chiropractic research reference for the daily practitioner, from the Amazon store TODAY!
The Message
I want you to know with absolute certainty that when Chiropractic is at its best, you can’t beat the risk vs reward ratio because spinal pain is primarily a movement-related pain and typically responds better to movement-related treatment rather than chemical treatments like pills and shots. When compared to the traditional medical model, research and clinical experience show us patients can get good to excellent results for headaches, neck pain, back pain, and joint pain to name just a few. It’s safe and cost-effective can decrease surgeries & disability and we do it through conservative, non-surgical means with minimal hassle to the patient. And, if the patient treats preventatively after initial recovery, we can usually keep it that way while raising the overall level of health!
Key Point:
At the end of the day, patients should have the guarantee of having the best treatment that offers the least harm. When it comes to non-complicated musculoskeletal complaints…. That’s Chiropractic!
Contact
Send us an email at dr dot williams at chiropracticforward.com and let us know what you think of our show and tell us your suggestions for future episodes. Feedback and constructive criticism is a blessing and so are subscribes and excellent reviews on podcast platforms. We know how this works by now. If you value something, you have to share it, interact with it, review it, talk about it from time to time, and actively hit a few buttons to support it here and there when asked. It really does make a big difference.
Connect
We can’t wait to connect with you again next week. From the Chiropractic Forward Podcast flight deck, this is Dr. Jeff Williams saying upward, onward, and forward.
Dr. Jeff Williams – Fellow of the International Academy of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine – Chiropractor in Amarillo, TX, Chiropractic Advocate, Author, Entrepreneur, Educator, Businessman, Marketer, and Healthcare Blogger & Vlogger
Bibliography
Ashar YK, G. A., Schubiner H, (2021). “Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients With Chronic Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” JAMA Psychiatry.
Dijkman HBPM, S. I., Bult P, (2021). “Assessment of Silicone Particle Migration Among Women Undergoing Removal or Revision of Silicone Breast Implants in the Netherlands.” JAMA Netw Open 4(9).
CF 145: Kids Still Hurt, Manipulation For Lumbar Radiculopathy, & Lack Of Attention On The Boards For Biopsychosocial Matters Today we’re going to talk about how kids can hurt, SMT for chronic lumbar radiculopathy, lack of testing on biopsychosocial matters. But first, here’s that sweet sweet bumper music
OK, we are back and you have found the Chiropractic Forward Podcast where we are making evidence-based chiropractic fun, profitable, and accessible while we make you and your patients better all the way around. We’re the fun kind of research. Not the stuffy, high-brow kind of research. We’re research talk over a couple of beers. I’m Dr. Jeff Williams and I’m your host for the Chiropractic Forward podcast. If you haven’t yet I have a few things you should do.
Like our Facebook page,
Join our private Facebook group and interact, and then
go review our podcast on iTunes and other podcast platforms.
While you’re there, join our weekly email newsletter. No spam, just a reminder when the newest episodes go live. Nothing special so don’t worry about signing up. Just one a week friends. Check your JUNK folder!!
Do it do it do it. https://www.chiropracticforward.com/chiropractors-affected-by-covid-2019-opioid-overdoses-insurance-compensation-for-chiropractic/ You have found yourself smack dab in the middle of Episode #145 Now if you missed last week’s episode , we talked about some of the most common musculoskeletal surgeries and the incredible lack of research backing them up. We also talked about how chiropractic performs when lined up against multidisciplinary treatment. Check it out after this one. Make sure you don’t miss that info. Keep up with the class. While we’re on the topic of being smart, did you know that you can use our website as a resource? Quick and easy, you can go to chiropracticforward.com, click on Episodes, and use the search function to find whatever you want quickly and easily. With over 100 episodes in the tank and an average of 2-3 papers covered per episode, we have somewhere between 250 and 300 papers that can be quickly referenced along with their talking points. Just so you know, all of the research we talk about in each episode is cited in the show notes for each episode if you’re looking to dive in a little deeper.On the personal end of things….. I think I’m getting busier. Feels like it anyway. 143 last week and the new patients are staying steady. Which is a good thing. I have the kind of practice that depends on new patients. When you’re evidence-based and you don’t make a ton of long-term recommendations…..you don’t make patients think they need to depend on you every week for the rest of their lives….well then, you have a constant turnover of patients. My longest recommendation is for about a 3 month plan. Honestly, most people are feeling so good that they don’t wrap up a 3 month plan. Some of you agree with that and some of you will say I should be holding them to the program but, research is clear on this. We should be teaching patients to self-manage at home. Not depending on us. And that’s part of it. Once they start self-managing and they’re feeling great, where’s the motivation to pay someone to mostly do what they’re doing at home already? I get it. And I don’t fuss with patients over their schedules when they’re doing amazing in the first damn place. There’s a point where that type of fussing and borderline bullying starts to look like greed. And I’m sure none of us want to look greedy. At least I don’t. That’s the epitome of being patient-centered, right? But the point is, patient-centered, evidence-based chiropractors need a steady stream of new patients. Now don’t get me wrong; I have wellness patients. They just aren’t the bulk of my practice. If I just depended on wellness/maintenance patients, we’d be in a world of hurt up in here, up in here. Not long ago, evidence-based chiros threw monkey poo at maintenance. Then Andres Eklund came around and cleaned up the monkey mess. Then a systematic review recently came out saying maintenance care can now be considered evidence-based. It felt like slipping into a warm coat in the winter, ya know. Lol. Now, that doesn’t mean once a week for life like the subluxation slayers lay on people. For the right population, once every month or two….or maybe every three months….that does indeed make difference and make some sense. If you’re unfamiliar with Andres Eklund, just go to our episodes link at chiropracticforward.com and use the search function there to search for maintenance care or Nordic papers and dive in. It’s wonderful stuff. I love it when the hard work has already been done by people smarter than me. It’s good stuff. Outside of all that boring stuff, still just trying to stay strong and healthy. I’m exercising much more regularly and really watching what I’m eating. It’s paying off too. I lost 7 pounds last week. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking…..how could Jeff get any sexier than he already is but I’m just going to say, hold my beer and watch. My michelob ultra beer that is…..because, you know….I’m on a diet and all. Lol. I have one kid at Texas Tech where COVID is spreading like a bad STD and then I have another in person in junior high. So far in the first 5 weeks they’ve had 2 teachers and 2 kids out with the Rona. That may sound like a lot but, honestly, this junior high has about 1400 kids so……that’s not much. The kid at Tech thinks he wants to come home every 2 weeks for the weekend. I love seeing the little knucklehead but another part of me is like…..you stay over there on that side of the house…..I’ll be on this side. He’s a big hugger. I’m normally good for a hug and all but…..Rona has me trying to stay healthy. You can’t turn down a hug from your kiddo though. Still……it’s a bit nerve wracking. I tell people and you may have heard me say it but, most folks do fine if they get COVID and I expect I’ll do fine as well. Other than being out of shape and overweight, I’m not particularly unhealthy. Most folks, if they get it, they just stay home in bed, fluids, all that rigamarole but no big deal really. Me….and most of you….we have to close down out businesses essentially. I have 14 employees, y’all. They have families. We bill out anywhere from $20k-$25k per week typically. At minimum, I’m probably out for 2 weeks. That means missing out on up to $50k in billing. One word, two syllables….Day-um….Hell no. I’ll just do everything I can to stay healthy in the first place. Even if some knuckleheads don’t understand or get it. Speaking of…..These anti-maskers….good Lord. I don’t know how they are where you live but here in Texas, did you know all kinds of degrees have morphed into now allowing the owner of the degree to now be an expert on epidemiology? Very powerful degrees. I’ve never heard of a degree that morphs into epidemiological expertise but evidently, it’s a fact these days. I saw a great quote from a fellow chiro that went something like this, “I guess I just don’t understand the argument anti-maskers make in general. Regardless of anything, for me, as a healthcare professional, I need to be flexible and consider being wrong as part of my logic. Simply put, maybe masks work, maybe they don’t but it really doesn’t matter what you believe. The question sreally is, if you’re wrong can you live with the consequences? I wear a mask because I believe it reduces the risk of exposure for me and to those around me, but more importantly, if I’m wrong I won’t hurt anybody at all. Including myself. If you don’t wear a mask and you’re wrong, then the effects can be devastating during a really off day when things go they way they’re not supposed to go. Or, how about the sneeze test? Have someone sneeze on you with a mask on and then have them sneeze on you without a mask on. Which do you prefer? End of story. Let’s get on with it. We have some pretty cool stuff to breeze through today.Item #1 Let’s start with this one called “Musculoskeletal pain distribution in 1,000 Danish schoolchildren aged 8–16 years” by Fuglkjaer et. al. it also has Jan Hartivigsen on it as well. It was published in Chiropractic and Manual Therapies in August of 2020(Fuglkjaer S 2020). Hot tamale, hot tamale, that tamale….it’s hot… Why They Did It The objectives were to group children aged 8 to 16 according to their distribution of pain in the spine, lower- and upper extremity, determine the proportion of children in each subgroup, and describe these in relation to sex, age, number- and length of episodes with pain. How They Did It Data on musculoskeletal pain from about 1,000 Danish schoolchildren was collected over 3 school years (2011 to 2014) using weekly mobile phone text message responses from parents, indicating whether their child had pain in the spine, lower extremity and/or upper extremity. Result are presented for each school year individually. What They Found
Around 30% reporting no pain, around 40% reporting pain in one region, and around 30% reporting pain in two or three regions.
Most commonly children experienced pain from the lower extremities at about 60%, the the spine at about 30%, and then upper extremities at about 23%.
Twice as many girls reported pain in all three sites
Wrap It Up Danish schoolchildren often experienced pain at more than one pain site during a schoolyear, and a significantly larger proportion of girls than boys reported pain in all three regions. This could indicate that, at least in some instances, the musculoskeletal system should be regarded as one entity, both for clinical and research purposes. Item #2 This one is excellent. It’s called “Spinal manipulation for subacute and chronic lumbar radiculopathy: a randomized controlled trial” by Ghasabmahaleh, et. al. and published in The American Journal of Medicine on September of 2020(Ghasabmahaleh S 2020). Sizzlin, smokin’. some stout stuff, y’all.Why They Did It The authors wanted to evaluate the efficacy of spinal manipulation for the management of non-acute lumbar radiculopathy. How They Did It
It was performed in a university hospital
It was a randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms.
44 patients with unilateral radicular low back pain lasting more than 4 weeks were randomly allocated to manipulation and control groups.
The primary outcome was intensity of the low back pain on the VAS scale
Secondary outcome was the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire score
In addition they measure spinal ranges of motion.
All patients had physiotherapy
The manipulation group got three sessions of manipulation therapy, one week apart.
For manipulation, they used Robert Maigne’s technique.
What They Found
Both groups experienced a significant decrease in back and leg pain
However, only the manipulation group showed significantly favorable results in the Oswestry scores, and the straight leg raise test.
All ranges of motion increased significantly with manipulation but the control group showed favorable results only in right and left rotations and in extension
Between-group analyses showed significantly better outcomes for manipulation in all measurements with large effect sizes
Wrap It Up They wrap it up by saying, “Spinal manipulation improves the results of physiotherapy over a period of three months for patients with subacute or chronic lumbar radiculopathy.” I say hell with that conclusion. Lol. I say that PT ADDS TO spinal manipulation. I’ve told my patients for years now that there is great research for spinal manipulation and there is great research for exercise. It’s not about one or the other. They’re not mutually exclusive. The research is best for combining the two. If you go to a PT and just get exercise, that’s not the full meal deal. You’re a taco or two short of a combo meal there. If you go to a chiropractor and only get adjustments, yes, there should be some relief but, again, you a taco short. You could be better. You don’t want evidence-based chiros out there in the world wishing you didn’t suck so much. Get on the exercise rehab. Learn. I didn’t used to know much about it. Hell, if I’m being honest, there’s A LOT more I still need to learn but I’m a hell of a lot better than I once was. Before we get to the next paper, I want to tell you a little about this new tool on the market called Drop Release. I love new toys! If you’re into soft tissue work, then it’s your new best friend. Heck if you’re just into getting more range of motion in your patients, then it’s your new best friend. Drop Release uses fast stretch to stimulate the Golgi Tendon Organ reflex. Which causes instant and dramatic muscle relaxation and can restore full ROM to restricted joints like shoulders and hips in seconds. Picture a T bar with a built-in drop piece. This greatly reduces time needed for soft tissue treatment, leaving more time for other treatments per visit, or more patients per day. Drop Release is like nothing else out there, and you almost gotta see it to understand, so check out the videos on the website. It’s inventor, Dr. Chris Howson, from the great state of North Dakota, is a listener and friend. He offered our listeners a great discount on his product. When you order, if you put in the code ‘HOTSTUFF’ all one word….as in hot stuff….coming up!! If you enter HOTSTUFF in the coupon code area, Dr. Howson will give you $50 off of your purchase. Go check Drop Release at droprelease.com and tell Dr. Howson I sent you. Item #3 Last one today is called “The prevalence of psychosocial related terminology in chiropractic program courses, chiropractic accreditation standards, and chiropractic examining board testing content in the United States” by Gliedt et. al. published in Chiropractic and Manual Therapies on 21st of August 2020(Gliedt J 2020). On the hottest, freshest frijoles for the Forward fans.Why They Did It Chiropractors treat spine complaints and therefore should be trained in the full spectrum of the biopsychosocial model. This study examines the use of psychosocial related terminology in United States doctor of chiropractic program (DCP) curricula, the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) standards, and the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE) test plans. How They Did It Nineteen academic course catalogs, CCE curricular standards and meta-competencies, and NBCE test plans were studied Wrap It Up Despite evidence suggesting the influential role of psychosocial factors in determinants of health and healthcare delivery, these factors are poorly reflected in United States DCP curricula. This underappreciation is further evidenced by the lack of representation of psychosocial terminology in NBCE parts III and IV test plans. The reasons for this are theoretical; lack of clarity or enforcement of CCE meta-competencies may contribute. So when you hear people ask what we can do to make this profession better, stronger, and more respected…..this is just one more thing that can be done. Our institutions can recognize the biopsychosocial aspect of chronic pain, they can teach it, they can teach yellow flags, and then they can test it. Then we can look at making entrance into the schools a little more stringent and we can look at taking the subluxation slayers and spine whisperer courses out of our colleges. If someone wants to learn how to be doctor-centered and use x-rays to manipulate patients out of thousands of dollars a year, they need to be learning that garbage outside of an accredited chiropractic college. It has no place in our institutes beyond some historical perspective. Over and out. Mic drop, bam, shazam, ala cazam. https://www.chiropracticforward.com/common-surgeries-arent-well-researched-chiropractic-wins-again/ That’s it. Y’all be safe. Keep changing the world and our profession from your little corner of the world. Continue taking care of yourselves and taking care of your neighbors. Tough times are upon us but, the sun will shine again. Trust it, believe it, count on it. Let’s get to the message. Same as it is every week.Key TakeawaysStore Remember the evidence-informed brochures and posters at chiropracticforward.com.
The Message I want you to know with absolute certainty that when Chiropractic is at its best, you can’t beat the risk vs reward ratio because spinal pain is primarily a movement-related pain and typically responds better to movement-related treatment rather than chemical treatments like pills and shots. When compared to the traditional medical model, research and clinical experience show us patients can get good to excellent results for headaches, neck pain, back pain, and joint pain to name just a few. It’s safe and cost-effective can decrease surgeries & disability and we do it through conservative, non-surgical means with minimal hassle to the patient. And, if the patient treats preventativly after initial recovery, we can usually keep it that way while raising the overall level of health! Key Point: At the end of the day, patients should have the guarantee of having the best treatment that offers the least harm. When it comes to non-complicated musculoskeletal complaints…. That’s Chiropractic! Contact Send us an email at dr dot williams at chiropracticforward.com and let us know what you think of our show and tell us your suggestions for future episodes. Feedback and constructive criticism is a blessing and so are subscribes and excellent reviews on podcast platforms. We know how this works by now. If you value something, you have to share it, interact with it, review it, talk about it from time to time, and actively hit a few buttons to support it here and there when asked. It really does make a big difference.Connect We can’t wait to connect with you again next week. From the Chiropractic Forward Podcast flight deck, this is Dr. Jeff Williams saying upward, onward, and forward. Website https://www.chiropracticforward.com Social Media Links https://www.facebook.com/chiropracticforward/ Chiropractic Forward Podcast Facebook GROUP https://www.facebook.com/groups/1938461399501889/ Twitter https://twitter.com/Chiro_Forward YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtc-IrhlK19hWlhaOGld76Q iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/chiropractic-forward-podcast-chiropractors-practicing/id1331554445?mt=2 Player FM Link https://player.fm/series/2291021 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-chiropractic-forward-podcast-chiropractors-practicing-through TuneIn https://tunein.com/podcasts/Health–Wellness-Podcasts/The-Chiropractic-Forward-Podcast-Chiropractors-Pr-p1089415/ About the Author & Host Dr. Jeff Williams – Fellow of the International Academy of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine – Chiropractor in Amarillo, TX, Chiropractic Advocate, Author, Entrepreneur, Educator, Businessman, Marketer, and Healthcare Blogger & Vlogger Bibliography
Fuglkjaer S, V. W., Hartvigsen J, Dissing KB, Junge T, Hestbaek L, (2020). “Musculoskeletal pain distribution in 1,000 Danish schoolchildren aged 8–16 years.” Chiropr Man Therap 28(45).
Ghasabmahaleh S, R. Z., Dadarkhah A, Hamidipanah S, Mofrad R, Najafi S, (2020). “Spinal manipulation for subacute and chronic lumbar radiculopathy: a randomized controlled trial.” The American Journal Of Medicine.
Gliedt J, B. P., Holmes B, (2020). “The prevalence of psychosocial related terminology in chiropractic program courses, chiropractic accreditation standards, and chiropractic examining board testing content in the United States.” Chiropr Man Therap 28(43).
CF 142: Nonoperative Disc Treatment, D3 for Depression, & The Biopsychosocial Part Of Chronic Pain
Today we’re going to talk about Nonoperative Disc Treatment, D3 for Depression, & The Biopsychosocial Part Of Chronic Pain
But first, here’s that sweet sweet bumper music
Subscribe button
OK, we are back and you have found the Chiropractic Forward Podcast where we are making evidence-based chiropractic fun, profitable, and accessible while we make you and your patients better all the way aro
und.
We’re the fun kind of research. Not the stuffy, high-brow kind of research. We’re research talk over a couple of beers.
I’m Dr. Jeff Williams and I’m your host for the Chiropractic Forward podcast.
If you haven’t yet I have a few things you should do.
Like our Facebook page,
Join our private Facebook group and interact, and then
go review our podcast on iTunes and other podcast platforms.
While you’re there, join our weekly email newsletter. No spam, just a reminder when the newest episodes go live. Nothing special so don’t worry about signing up. Just one a week friends. Check your JUNK folder!!
Do it do it do it.
You have found yourself smack dab in the middle of Episode #142
Now if you missed last week’s episode , we talked about the update from the authors on The Lancet low back series and we talked about movement disorders and whether or not they translate into pain. Make sure you don’t miss that info. Keep up with the class.
While we’re on the topic of being smart, did you know that you can use our website as a resource? Quick and easy, you can go to chiropracticforward.com, click on Episodes, and use the search function to find whatever you want quickly and easily. With over 100 episodes in the tank and an average of 2-3 papers covered per episode, we have somewhere between 250 and 300 papers that can be quickly referenced along with their talking points.
Just so you know, all of the research we talk about in each episode is cited in the show notes for each episode if you’re looking to dive in a little deeper.
On the personal end of things…..
Kids still in school. I called it early. I’m giving most of the schools about 4-6 weeks before they decide the numbers are too high. I do not want to be a pessimist. I just don’t see how they’ll keep it under control. I drove by my daughter’s junior high at lunch and they had 100-200 kids out on the playground playing basketball. Right up on each other. Lol.
I know they’re outside. I know. We’ll see. I know the University of Alabama just reported 1200 positives at the campus. Notre Dame, University of North Carolina. I just see it as a start.
My son told me a kid in his math class turned up positive so that got him all up in a wrinkle. I told him he’s got a better chance of getting it riding in a car with someone to eat or gathering up in dorm rooms than getting it in a big huge classroom. It’ll hold 300 kids but there’s around 50 or 60 in there all wearing masks and distanced. Minimal risk.
Then I had a patient in here just last week, I treated her on a Tuesday. No temp, no symptoms at all….she goes home. The next day she feels a little funky. Her husband had the Rona a couple of weeks ago if I remember right. Anyway, she’s on high alert because of her husband so she goes and gets tested and she’s positive. The day after we had her in the clinic.
Now, she was masked the whole time and my time with her was less than 3-5 minutes, she had no symptoms at the time so the risk, to my knowledge, while certainly not ideal, in the long run is probably minimal.
Had that happened 3-4 weeks ago, I’d probably have been down at the place getting the tests and all that good stuff. Had Jake had a positive kid in his big ol math class a month ago, they’d probably be doing something more than just saying, hey this happened. Y’all wear a mask.
Things ahve changed slightly in the past month I believe. I think more and more, we’re seeing we can live with this and it’s not the end of the world like some thought it’d be back in March and April. We still see cases going down but they’re still higher than they were in the first wave. Yet deaths aren’t. They’ve leveled and dropped as well. Which is all great news.
I’m a nerd so I watch interviews with experts on vaccines and epidemilology and all that stuff done through the Journal of the American Medical Association. One of the experts said that’s it’s just not in the virus’s best interest to kill us off. It’s in its best interest to become more transmissible but less deadly so it can spread easier but not kill us…..so it can survive. Basically.
That’s an interesting way to look at it. Then, yesterday, the CDC comes out and says that only 6% of deaths are due strictly to COVID. Well now hell. Doesn’t that give fuel to the fire for the science hating conspiracy nut cases? More ammo to confuse other dummies into their way of thinking but the truth is, it changed nothing. It just meant that 94% of COVID deaths have an average of 2.6 co-morbidities.
Well, no durr Sherlock. That’s one of the few things we’ve all actually known this whole time. The CDC just was finally able to quantify it. That’s all. I’m still overweight. I’m still more at risk than John Workout over there drinking his fruit smoothie after his 6 mile run. No change whatsoever but day-um if the nut cases didn’t jump all over that one.
Watching science haters just explode and reveal themselves on Facebook over the last 6 months has been such a disappointment. Especially the ones that you respected as doctorate level caregivers.
Now look, I’ll admit something, in the very beginning, when nobody knew what the hell, how many would die and this and that, I got caught up in some of it. A whole bunch of us did. As more information comes to light, as we learn more about it, as we experience life with it, the danger is still there but, education has lessened any fear that might have been there in the beginning.
Now, it’s just life and we have to keep living. We have to try to send kids to school. Let’s see what happens. We have to go to work. I’ve been working full time for basically 6 months following guidelines and so far so good. Can you imagine what business would look like if I just took off for months? Nope. Can’t do it.
And isn’t there something to be said about government over reach on some of this stuff? How can they shut down bars yet allow people to gather up in a church? How can some bars stay open with music and bands but they’re able to stay open because you can buy a hamburger. Yet other bars are closed because they don’t sell a hamburger? How does any of it make sense? It’s a stack of hooey balls.
I’m a Christian, I want people to want to go to church. So don’t get the wrong idea there. It’s a valid comparison. You can group up in church but not in a bar. It’s silly.
We’ll know more about the back to school thing in jsut a few weeks.
Alright, I’m rambling, let’s get to it.
Item #1
The first article here is called “Effect of Long-term Vitamin D3 Supplementation vs Placebo on Risk of Depression or Clinically Relevant Depressive Symptoms and on Change in Mood Scores. A Randomized Clinical Trial” by Okereke et. al(Okereke O 2020). and published in JAMA on August 4, 2020. Hot tamale, hot tamale….
Why They Did It
The authors wanted to know if long-term supplementation with vitamin D3 prevent depression in the general adult population? What’s your guess? D3 is a bit of a wonder kid, right?
How They Did It
18353 men and women aged 50 years or older
Randomized clinical trial
Randomized testing happened from November 2011 through March 2014
Randomized treatment ended on December 31, 2017
Randomization was D3 or placebo
Wrap It Up
“Among adults aged 50 years or older without clinically relevant depressive symptoms at baseline, treatment with vitamin D3 compared with placebo did not result in a statistically significant difference in the incidence and recurrence of depression or clinically relevant depressive symptoms or for change in mood scores over a median follow-up of 5.3 years. These findings do not support the use of vitamin D3 in adults to prevent depression.”
Before we get to the next paper, I want to tell you a little about this new tool on the market called Drop Release. I love new toys! If you’re into soft tissue work, then it’s your new best friend. Heck if you’re just into getting more range of motion in your patients, then it’s your new best friend.
Drop Release uses fast stretch to stimulate the Golgi Tendon Organ reflex. Which causes instant and dramatic muscle relaxation and can restore full ROM to restricted joints like shoulders and hips in seconds.
Picture a T bar with a built-in drop piece. This greatly reduces time needed for soft tissue treatment, leaving more time for other treatments per visit, or more patients per day. Drop Release is like nothing else out there, and you almost gotta see it to understand, so check out the videos on the website.
It’s inventor, Dr. Chris Howson, from the great state of North Dakota, is a listener and friend. He offered our listeners a great discount on his product. When you order, if you put in the code ‘HOTSTUFF’ all one word….as in hot stuff….coming up!! If you enter HOTSTUFF in the coupon code area, Dr. Howson will give you $50 off of your purchase.
Go check Drop Release at droprelease.com and tell Dr. Howson I sent you.
Item #2
This second one here is called “An Assessment of Nonoperative Management Strategies in a Herniated Lumbar Disc Population: Successes Versus Failures” by Lilly et. al(Lilly D 2020). published in Global Spine Journal in July of 2020. Is it hot in here? I need some air!
Why They Did It
To compare the utilization of conservative treatments in patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniations who were successfully managed nonoperatively versus patients who failed conservative therapies and elected to undergo surgery (microdiscectomy).
How They Did It
Clinical records from adult patients with an initial herniated lumbar disc between 2007 and 2017 were selected from a large insurance database.
Patients were divided into 2 cohorts: patients treated successfully with nonoperative therapies and patients that failed conservative management and opted for microdiscectomy surgery.
Nonoperative treatments utilized by the 2 groups were collected over a 2-year surveillance window.
“Utilization” was defined by cost billed to patients, prescriptions written, and number of units disbursed.
What They Found
277 941 patients with lumbar intervertebral disc herniations were included.
Of these, 269 713 (97.0%) were successfully managed with nonoperative treatments,
8228 (3.0%) failed maximal nonoperative therapy (MNT) and underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy.
failures occurred more frequently in males (3.7%), and patients with a history of lumbar epidural steroid injections (4.5%) or preoperative opioid use (3.6%).
A cost analysis indicated that patients who failed nonoperative treatments billed for nearly double ($1718/patient) compared to patients who were successfully treated ($906/patient).
Wrap It Up
“Our results suggest that the majority of patients are successfully managed nonoperatively. However, in the subset of patients that fail conservative management, male sex and prior opioid use appear to be independent predictors of treatment failure.”
Item #3
The last one is called “Biopsychosocial baseline values of 15 000 patients suffering from chronic pain: Dutch DataPain study” by Brouwer et. al (Brouwer B 2020) . and published in Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine in August of 2020….only the freshest for you fresh people.
Why They Did It
They did this one in an effort to understand multidisciplinary approaches to solving chronic pain.
How They Did It
11,214 patients suffering from chronic pain
The pain was analyzed using relevant Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain assessment in Clinical Trials Instruments.
Most patients were female
What They Found
The mean age was 55.6 years old
Severe pain was reported by 71.9%
Psychological and quality of life values deteriorated when pain severity increased
About 36% of them showed severe signs of depression or anxiety
39% had high pain catastrophizing
Of all patients, 17.8% reported high values for pain severity, catastrophizing and anxiety or depression
Wrap It Up
“Based on baseline biopsychosocial values, this study shows the complexity of patients referred to pain centers. Pain management with a biopsychosocial approach in an integrated multidisciplinary setting is indispensable. Above all, adjusted education on chronic pain and attention to its biopsychosocial aspects are deemed necessary.”
It becomes more and more clear that if all you’re doing is adjusting and sending them on their way, you’re wrong.
If you’re adjusting and doing some exericises and sending chronic pain on its way, you’re partly wrong.
If you’re adjusting when appropriate, if you’re prescribing patients exercises and teaching them how to self manage at home, addressing yellow flags and building confidence while you encourage addressing the cognitive aspect of chronic pain…..well….now you’re starting to get it. You’re becoming someone that can make a realy difference in your patients’ lives.
Alright, that’s it. Y’all be safe. Keep changing the world and our profession from your little corner of the world. Continue taking care of yourselves and taking care of your neighbors. Tough times are upon us but, the sun will shine again. Trust it, believe it, count on it.
Let’s get to the message. Same as it is every week.
I want you to know with absolute certainty that when Chiropractic is at its best, you can’t beat the risk vs reward ratio because spinal pain is primarily a movement-related pain and typically responds better to movement-related treatment rather than chemical treatments like pills and shots.
When compared to the traditional medical model, research and clinical experience show us patients can get good to excellent results for headaches, neck pain, back pain, and joint pain to name just a few.
It’s safe and cost-effective can decrease surgeries & disability and we do it through conservative, non-surgical means with minimal hassle to the patient.
And, if the patient treats preventativly after initial recovery, we can usually keep it that way while raising the overall level of health!
Key Point:
At the end of the day, patients should have the guarantee of having the best treatment that offers the least harm. When it comes to non-complicated musculoskeletal complaints….
That’s Chiropractic!
Contact
Send us an email at dr dot williams at chiropracticforward.com and let us know what you think of our show and tell us your suggestions for future episodes.
Feedback and constructive criticism is a blessing and so are subscribes and excellent reviews on podcast platforms.
We know how this works by now. If you value something, you have to share it, interact with it, review it, talk about it from time to time, and actively hit a few buttons to support it here and there when asked. It really does make a big difference.
Connect
We can’t wait to connect with you again next week. From the Chiropractic Forward Podcast flight deck, this is Dr. Jeff Williams saying upward, onward, and forward.
Dr. Jeff Williams – Fellow of the International Academy of Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine – Chiropractor in Amarillo, TX, Chiropractic Advocate, Author, Entrepreneur, Educator, Businessman, Marketer, and Healthcare Blogger & VloggerBibliography
Brouwer B, W. S., Jacobs C, Overdijk M, (2020). “Biopsychosocial baseline values of 15 000 patients suffering from chronic pain: Dutch DataPain study.” Reg Anesth Pain Med.
Lilly D, D. M., Eldridge C, (2020). “An Assessment of Nonoperative Management Strategies in a Herniated Lumbar Disc Population: Successes Versus Failures.” Global Spine J.
Okereke O, R. C., Mschoulon D, (2020). “Effect of Long-term Vitamin D3 Supplementation vs Placebo on Risk of Depression or Clinically Relevant Depressive Symptoms and on Change in Mood Scores A Randomized Clinical Trial.” JAMA 324(5): 471-480.
