Individualized Care Key To Treating Back Pain

November 17, 2022 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Back pain is incredibly common, as more than 90 percent of people will deal with acute or chronic back pain at some point in their life. So while back pain is common, it doesn’t mean that any old one-size-fits-all treatment will cut it. In fact, researchers actually found the opposite to be true. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at the importance of connecting with a pain management specialist if you want to put an end to your back pain.

Patient-Specific Care Key For Combating Back Pain

Although general back pain is common, the underlying condition that you are dealing with is highly unique. Nobody else is experiencing exactly the same type of back pain, so we shouldn’t just assume that a singular type of treatment will work for everyone.

That theory was at the heart of a recent meta-analysis published in the Journal of Pain. For the study, researchers looked at the data from 58 randomized trails involving over 10,000 individuals suffering from chronic low back pain throughout the world. When looking closer at the data, researchers scoured to learn more about treatment techniques and whether an individual was treated with a conventional form of treatment or a more individualized care plan. In this instance, individualized meant things like personal coaching, targeted physical therapy, and professionally-guided patient care techniques.

According to the study, patients who received individualized therapy for their chronic back pain were much more likely to experience successful treatment results. The success rate for pain alleviation was 38 percent greater in the individualized group compared to conventional treatment techniques. As you might imagine, individualized attention may require more professional resources and effort, but researchers say it’s worth it.

“The higher effort required for individual treatment is worthwhile because patients benefit to an extent that is clinically important,” said lead author Dr. Johannes Fleckenstein from the Institute of Sport Sciences at Goethe University Frankfurt.

Researchers took the study even one step further. They also compared treatment success when combining individualized techniques with a talk therapy technique known as cognitive behavioral therapy. By giving patients individualized attention and talking with them about personal ways to handle and cope with pain, researchers found that treatment was 84 percent more effective than conventional back pain treatment.

If you are dealing with back pain or a similar chronic pain condition, it’s imperative that you seek out a professional and get individualized advice instead of just trying some generic exercises that you find on the internet. We pride ourselves on giving each patient the time and attention they need to overcome their physical pain, and we know we can to the same for you, and the research backs up this individualized approach! For more information, or to connect with a specialist to have a conversation about your pain condition, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today at (952) 738-4580.

Caring For Chronic Low Back Pain

June 3, 2022 / Thomas Cohn, MD

The following is a guest blog from Natalia Madden at The Healthy Place, a vitamin and supplement company that originated in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, and now has additional storefronts in the greater Madison area. The Healthy Place hopes to provide customers with the highest quality products and the education needed for customers to stride forward confidently on their journey to find wellness. You can learn more about them on their website, FindYourHealthyPlace.com

Your back is in pain and you feel at odds. Why? Well, this frustrating pain can leave us feeling helpless due to its central location, interfering with everything we try to do. Maybe your back hurts from bad posture or daily wear and tear, or you injured yourself exercising or doing yard work. Whatever is causing your low back pain, you want relief — and you want it fast.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to relieve lower back pain without the use of conventional pain medications. Check out the best low back pain relief methods below, where we mention everything from stretches and supplements to the best healthcare specialist you should seek for this pain.

How to Relieve Low Back Pain

Maintain good posture: This relaxes tension from your lower back that causes pain.
Stay active, even when your body wants otherwise: This prevents the weakening of back muscles and spinal support.
Stretch in the morning and throughout the day: Exercises like yoga and Pilates strengthen your core to keep back and hip muscles strong and supportive.
See a chiropractor or pain management specialist.
Supply your body with natural, relieving nutrients: Eat a nutritious diet and take dietary supplements to keep your nerves, muscles, and bones nourished for less pain and discomfort.

Low back pain is an unfortunately common health issue. In fact, it’s a leading cause of disability and over 25% of Americans struggle with it regularly. While pain relievers and other conventional methods are a normal go-to for low back pain, there are a variety of natural methods to relieve this uncomfortable and frustrating concern.

Stand tall, stay active, stretch regularly, and see a chiropractor or pain management specialist to maintain a pain-free back. And when the pain is in your way of daily life, nourish your body with a natural pain relief supplement. You can learn more about these options by talking to your pain management specialist or by connecting with a vitamin and supplement provider like Find Your Healthy Place!

New Low Back Pain Guidelines From The ACP

February 27, 2017 / Thomas Cohn, MD

In the last week, the American College of Physicians (ACP) published new guidelines for the care of low back pain. The guidelines are their recommendations based on the available research on the subject. The most important thing to remember is this information is designed for physicians to assist with the management of particular problems.

However, the recommendations are only as good as the knowledge and ability of those who put together the data. These guidelines provide some reasonable information, but they do not contain significant information from board certified pain practitioners who are treating the problem every day. The reason why we need to highlight this issue is because the guidelines attack back pain as if it has one single cause, which we know is not always the case.

Where The Guidelines Fall Short

For the pain practitioner and as it should be for every doctor, pain is one symptom, and the low back region covers a large number of structures that can cause problems. A diagnosis is based on a history of symptoms, a physical exam, and then the application of medical knowledge to determine the causes related to the problem.

The new guidelines move away from coming up with a specific diagnosis of the pain problem. They also recommend any number of treatments that have a limited scientific basis, like acupuncture and spine manipulation, and they did not address medications very well. Muscle relaxants are recommended as well as duloxetine (Cymbalta), while many more common medications like Celebrex were not studied. The guidelines also recommend many psychological therapies and exercises that are not readily available or not covered by insurance.

Treating Back Pain

Guidelines are meant to serve as a road map to help practitioners establish appropriate treatment for patients. The new ACP guidelines lack instruction on establishing appropriate diagnoses and true evidence-based treatment alternatives. The guidelines appear to be the answer to what is the cheapest way to get a complex problem patient out of an office. They recommend everything but appropriate diagnostic testing, referrals to experts in pain, or advice on all the non-opioid options available and when to use them. These guidelines made headlines in the national news, but they surely are not truly newsworthy.

Acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain all have different meanings and can be quite well treated with a variety of interventions. It is true that most acute back pain is short lived, but primary care physicians should learn much more about all the causes and treatments available. For the patient, telling them “No matter what you do, it usually gets better in a month,” as these guidelines suggest, is poor quality care. No patient wants to be sidelined for a month, and they want to have a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan. These guidelines fall short of offering the best care for each patient with back pain.

Can Alternative Medicine Really Help Your Back?

November 12, 2014 / Thomas Cohn, MD

The following is a guest blog post from our friends at North American Spine.

If you’re experiencing mild or chronic back pain, there are a variety of traditional and alternative treatments that can both ease the pain and help address the root cause. When most patients complain of back pain, their doctor’s first reaction may be to refer them to an orthopedic or osteopathic surgeon. However, there are other options that have been effective in treating patients for centuries. These include:

Acupuncture

A diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods

Myofascial release

Physical manipulation

Back-strengthening exercises

Yoga and meditation

A Physical Medicine Pain Doctor

Help a Bad Back by Sticking Needles in It

That’s right. Acupuncture, which is the art of inserting thin needles into certain parts of your body to help reduce or relive discomfort, is an effective drug-free method for relieving back pain. Although the results are not long-lived, treatments help when pain medicine and other therapies have failed.

Scientists are still working to understand how acupuncture relieves pain and stimulates endorphins. Acupuncture is endorsed by the American Pain Society, the American College of Physicians and the National Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. In fact, one of the main reasons people choose acupuncture is because it’s been so successful at treating back pain. If you’re worried about being stuck with needles, don’t be. Patients rarely feel pain. If anything, it’s more of a slight tingling sensation.

Rest, Relaxation and Less Pain

Myofascial release is another type of therapy that uses pressure to effectively loosen the tension and tightness that contributes to upper and lower back pain. Myofascial techniques are often included in massage therapy and chiropractic care. When done correctly, these techniques can both decrease pain and increase your range of motion.

Down Dog Your Way to Less Back Pain

Yoga is a unique method for treating back pain because it stimulates the mind AND the body. Breathing and meditation coupled with low-impact exercises calms the mind and relieves the stress that is caused by chronic pain. With help from cushions, certain yoga poses are great for stretching and strengthening the back.

A 2011 study conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that 12 weekly yoga classes improved function and mobility for patients with recurring or chronic back pain better than traditional therapies.

Eat Better, Feel Better

Just as certain medicines relieve inflammation, a healthy diet can reduce the swelling that may cause back pain in the first place. A good anti-inflammatory diet includes vegetables, fruits, fish, high-fiber foods and certain spices. North American Spine recently talked about the correlation between your diet and your back in a back pain eBook.

If possible, try to shy away from eating too many carbohydrates, as they affect insulin levels and promote inflammation. The same holds true for dairy, eggs and wheat—especially if you’re sensitive to these foods. The key to a healthy back is a healthy diet, so be sure to eat foods rich in zinc, iron and fiber and less rich in hydrogenated oils and fats.

The goal of alternative treatments is to increase mobility, reduce pain and lessen your dependence on medications. Above all, these simple methods should encourage you to take an active role in your care.

Pain Care: The Benefits of Pain Management

July 9, 2014February 17, 2016 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Pain is a complex problem with physical and emotional components. It can affect all aspects of a person’s life. When pain is treated early and aggressively, often it can be cured. Sometimes the injury that has caused the pain cannot be completely reversed and the damage needs to be managed on a long-term basis. Medically, we are always looking to find a diagnosis and treatment for every problem. Pain Care is aimed at finding the individualized, comprehensive diagnosis and management plan for a patient’s symptoms and problems.

Pain Care

Pain Care has been developed to take the next step in managing a patient’s symptoms. A new patient will undergo a comprehensive evaluation by a Board Certified specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with a subspecialty in Pain Care. These physicians are medical doctors with extensive special training in the musculoskeletal, medical and neurologic systems, which allows them to better diagnose and treat almost any painful condition. As Physical Medicine doctors, they are the “Family “ physicians coordinating and delivering care to those with pain.

Since pain often is a complex problem, Pain Care is designed to help the patient move forward with management. Every patient is unique with their own set of important problems. If all the answers were obvious, there would be no need for our services. Unfortunately, pain is the most common problem bringing a patient to the doctor’s office. When it does not resolve in short period of time, consulting a specialist is often extremely beneficial. There is not one solution, one medication, one shot, or one specific intervention that is right for every patient. Pain Care is designed to integrate and coordinate our skills into the community to treat these challenging patients with their current care team.

Pain management is not a new medical field, however there are not many providers with the Physical Medicine and Pain specialty skills. Pain is complex and Pain Care is designed to address these issues and bring a solution to the patient and community.