published: Friday, December 07, 2012

Try conservative approach to back pain management

Editor:

In reading the daily and alarming news items about the fungal meningitis outbreak attributed to a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy - amounting to 510 cases with 36 deaths and rising - I am deeply concerned that deadly epidural steroid injections to relieve back pain are "just the tip of the iceberg." These risky interventions, including overuse of cortisone injections, overdoses of prescription drugs such as Methadone and other opioids, as well as debilitating back surgery are often worse than the disease, and don't seem to be getting individuals any closer to relief than they were decades ago.

Back pain is pervasive throughout the United States and impacts productivity in the workplace, with estimates that the direct costs of treatment top $50 billion annually. A report by the National Center for Health Statistics found that more than a quarter of adults had low back pain in the past three months, and it's the second most common neurological ailment in the United States, trailing only headaches.

Prior to undergoing expensive, risky and sometimes life-threatening treatments, individuals should first try a conservative approach to back pain management. Today, chiropractic care must be considered as a preferred option: evidence-based, drug-free and non-invasive.

John Pepper, D.C.

Affinity Health Professionals, P.A.