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Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC Respects the Painful Spine with Evidence-Based Care

October 03, 2017

The spine deserves respect. Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC respects all La Grande spines, those in good shape and those in not so good shape. When the spine hurts, it gets attention. The attention the hurting spine gets isn’t always respectful of the guidelines for its pain relief. That fact is getting notice in the medical research. Evidence based guidelines for a painful spine’s care abound, but they aren’t always used. They are published but not always read or implemented. The spine deserves better. Your La Grande chiropractor respects the spine and matches its trouble to the best evidence-based protocol for its relief which is often times non-surgical and non-drug.

CLINICAL GUIDELINES AND APPROACHES

What is recommended and/or favorable for spine pain often provided even in La Grande? The American Pain Society and the American College of Physicians recommend spinal manipulation for low back pain. (1) Flexion distraction (aka Cox Technic) and manual therapy using joint mobilization techniques and flexion distraction is written to be effective for low back pain relief. (2) Conservative treatment in the form of spinal manipulation should be undertaken by patients with chronic low back pain and low back pain related disability. (3) Flexion distraction provides clinically meaningful improvement in pain by 79% and disability by 70% at 14.5 months follow-up. (4) Research reports that surgical approaches and outcomes differ from place to place for patients with the same condition. It pleas for standardization of care and the establishment of international guidelines founded about what works best according to such evidence. (5) Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC agrees that published guidelines documenting what is most effective need to be respected.

CLINICAL REALITY

What is being done? A just published article that assessed the care of Canadian spine pain patients sent for spine surgery came out and reported that “Surgeons do not use clinical practice guidelines before spine surgery.” What did they do? Prescribed medications to 74.2% of them 46.3% of whom got opioids.  61.1% of patients tried two or less non-surgical forms of treatment. The article suggests that if patients attempted to use evidence-based non-operative treatments before a spine surgery consultation, fewer would be referred and, in Canada, fewer would get worse as they have to wait such a long time to see the surgeon. (6) Lumbar cage fusion rates grew from 3.6% to 58% in 5 years that resulted in higher complication risk without any improvement in disability or reoperation rates. (7) Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC delivers La Grande chiropractic spine care with less intrusive, more effective means, particularly with the evidence-based protocols of Cox Technic.

MAKE A La Grande CHIROPRACTIC APPOINTMENT

Listen to this PODCAST with medical doctor, Dr. David Moen, who encourages non-surgical care of back pain with chiropractic for less costly and unnecessary medical care.

Schedule a La Grande chiropractic consultation now with the La Grande spine specialist at Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC where your hurting spine is seen with respect and relieving care as evidence says is best.