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August 2023 Healthy News from Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn Less Gabapentin Prescription and Pain with Chiropractic Care Back Pain & Hip Flexibility Link

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The Choice of Chiropractic Care First for Back Pain: Fewer Prescriptions for Gabapentin, Less Pain and Healthcare Use

Back pain is challenging. Its sufferers want relief. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a pill would deliver it?! Many back pain sufferers enter the back pain relief medical system and are prescribed meds first. They take them in hopes that they’ll get relief. (Because this is so customary, we chiropractors recognize that we need to be well-trained to identify patients who may deal with a substance use issue and know how to help if the use is a problem. (1)) Recent research notes that the first-choice healthcare provider is an influential factor in patients’ utilization of healthcare services. An assessment of 29,806 patient cases that looked at the year following the first visit for back pain found that utilization of healthcare services was less for those who decided on chiropractic care first. The highest health care utilization was noted for those who went to the emergency room as their first healthcare visit for back pain relief. (2) Another study noted that for patients under age 50 who are suffering low back pain, two usual options of care and of care providers are spinal manipulation from a chiropractor and pharmacological prescription of gabapentin from a medical provider. Prescriptions for gabapentin were significantly lower for those who underwent chiropractic spinal manipulative care than those who used usual medical care. (3) Your chiropractor recognizes the value of interdisciplinary care and communicates with healthcare colleagues for the benefit of our back pain patients whenever possible and the value of provider choice in terms of relief and care. Your Ashburn chiropractor at Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn is poised to help our Ashburn back pain patients with our effective chiropractic services!

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Kurt Olding on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson about the many choices back pain patients in “The Spine Care ‘Supermarket’” and how choosing The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management helps manage the pain.

 
TIP OF THE MONTH: Improve Hip Flexibility, Relieve Back Pain

When the hips are tight, the back gets tense, and movement is altered. Remember: Everything is connected! Researchers who evaluated hip rotation range of motion in participants who experienced back pain and those who did not found that those with low back pain had extremely restricted hip lateral rotation range of motion. (4) Luckily, there are methods to improve hip flexibility. One new method is auricular acupressure. What is that? Ask at your next appointment, but it enhanced hip flexibility (and back pain!) in one new study. (5) Another study touted the benefit of core stability exercise and hip muscle stretching as effective at enhancing physical function and activity in non-specific low back pain patients. (6) Let’s check your hip flexibility out at your next Ashburn chiropractic appointment and plan a way to maximize it!

CONTACT Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn

Schedule your next Ashburn chiropractic visit with Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn now. We’ll see you soon!

"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."