The integrated approach to back pain treatment

Multi-disciplinary treatment for back pain
At op90.com, we are often asked which physician is the most appropriate to treat an episode of back pain. Our answer is usually "it depends". There are many different types of health professionals who treat back pain, and each has different training and interests.

First, it is important to note that no one type of physician treats all types of back pain, neck pain or other musculoskeletal conditions. For example:

• There are some types of back pain that respond better to manual treatments (such as chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation or physical therapy), or to medical treatments (such as injections or medications).

• Sometimes, with sustained and/or severe back pain, neck pain, or arm or leg pain, surgery is the best option to get better quicker.

• The causes of back pain are often quite complex, and an accurate diagnosis is critical and can be difficult to obtain.

• It is quite common for a patient to first consult with one type of physician and get referred to another.

Advances in back pain diagnosis and treatment
Secondly, over the past twenty years there have been significant advances in back pain diagnosis and treatments in all areas. For example:

• Imaging studies such as CT scans and MRI scans have revolutionized medicine’s ability to accurately diagnose back injuries and the causes of back pain.

• Surgical advances in both instrumentation (pedicle screws and interbody cages) and technique have reduced the morbidity (unwanted aftereffects) of spine surgery and made the outcomes much more reliable.

• Physical therapy and exercise techniques have become much more effective and there has been a developing acceptance by medicine that chiropractic manipulation and osteopathic manipulation are effective means of treating many forms of back pain.

• Pain blocks for both diagnosis and treatment of back pain are also technically much more accurate and effective than they were in past years.

Complexity of treating back pain
With so many advances in technology and treatments, the complexity of diagnosis and treatment of back pain increases. There are far too many causes of back pain and neck pain and far too many treatments available for any one field of practice to have all the answers.

Because of the complexity of back pain and the variety of health professionals who treat it, a recent trend has started - more physicians are getting together and building integrated spine clinics to treat all patients with back pain or neck pain.