The opioid crisis has shown us that relying heavily on drug-focused approaches to what are essentially more functional type problems leads to poor outcomes and increased harm. Each year, opioid overdose, misuse, and dependence account for $35 billion in health care costs. Patients who experienced an opioid overdose accounted for $1.94 billion in annual hospital costs. Additionally, the crisis has led to $14.8 billion in criminal justice costs. The economic toll of the opioid crisis in the United States reached nearly $1.5 trillion in 2020.
This crisis underscores the pressing need for more effective and holistic approaches to pain management. A recent study brings hope for a more collaborative approach.
A fascinating study titled “Impact of Chiropractic Care on Use of Prescription Opioids in Patients with Spinal Pain” by James M Whedon and his colleagues sheds light on the potential benefits of chiropractic care in reducing opioid dependency. This study was published in Pain Medicine in December 2020 and offers some compelling insights.
Utilizing health claims data from three states (Connecticut, New Hampshire, and one other) over a five-year span (2012-2017), the researchers compared two groups: those who received both primary care and chiropractic care (recipients) and those who received only primary care (nonrecipients). The total sample size was an impressive 101,221 adults aged 18 to 84 years.
They found that the Chiropractic group had a significantly lower likelihood of filling an opioid prescription. This finding held true across different states and was even more pronounced among patients who saw a chiropractor within 30 days of their diagnosis.
The reason for the lowered presciptions is the effectiveness of Chiropractic. This is observed in patient satisfaction studies (83% were satisfied or very satisfied with their care), and recent research showing that chiropractic care can reduce the need for disc surgery and has been recommended by the World Health Organization as part of a coordinated approach for managing non-specific low back pain. These studies collectively highlight the safety and effectiveness of chiropractic interventions.
- Association between Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation and Lumbar Discectomy: This retrospective cohort study, published in BMJ Open, analyzed data from over 5,785 patients with newly diagnosed lumbar disc herniation (LDH) or lumbosacral radiculopathy (LSR). The study found that patients receiving CSMT had significantly reduced odds of undergoing lumbar discectomy over a two-year follow-up period. The hazard ratios were 2.26 at one year and 1.92 at two years, indicating a lower likelihood of needing surgery compared to those who received other forms of care.
- New Study Reveals Significant Reduction in Lumbar Spine Reoperation: Published in Medical Xpress, this study included 756 patients with a mean age of 61 years. It revealed that patients who received chiropractic spinal manipulation experienced a 45% reduction in the likelihood of undergoing additional lumbar surgery compared to those who received usual medical care.
By integrating chiropractic care into treatment plans for spinal pain, healthcare providers can offer patients a viable alternative to opioids.
- Whedon, J. M., Toler, A. W. J., Kazal, L. A., Bezdjian, S., Goehl, J. M., & Greenstein, J. (2020). Impact of Chiropractic Care on Use of Prescription Opioids in Patients with Spinal Pain. Pain Medicine, 21(12), 3567–3573. https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pnaa014.
2. Author(s). (2022). Association between Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation and Lumbar Discectomy. BMJ Open, 12(12), e068262. https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/12/12/e068262.full.pdf?with-ds=yes.
3. Author(s). (2024). New Study Reveals Significant Reduction in Lumbar Spine Reoperation. Medical Xpress. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-01-reveals-significant-reduction-lumbar-spine.html.
4. Florence, Curtis S., Feijun Luo, and Kedra Karamer. (2018). “The Economic Burden of Prescription Opioid Overdose, Abuse, and Dependence in the United States, 2013.” Medical Care, 54(10): 901-906. https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0000000000000625.
5. Scholl, Lawrence, Puja Seth, Mbabazi Kariisa, Nana Wilson, and Grant Baldwin. (2019). “Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths — United States, 2013–2017.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 67(5152): 1419–1427. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm675152e1.
6. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2019). “Pain in the Nation: The Drug, Alcohol, and Suicide Crises and the Need for a National Resilience Strategy.” Trust for America’s Health. https://www.tfah.org/report-details/paininthenation2018.
7. Bertelsman, T. (2021). Chiropractic Outcomes & Patient Satisfaction Synopsis. ChiroUp. Retrieved from https://chiroup.com/copssynopsis2021.