This article is one of a series covering back pain — causes, symptoms, and the treatments we use at Back and Body Medical in Midtown Manhattan. For the complete overview, see the full guide:
→ Back Pain Treatment in New York City — The Complete Guide
Back pain is very common in the United States. From trauma induced injury to slow degeneration to simple wear and tear, there are many reasons why a person would have back pain. In many cases, as soon as someone has back pain, they often reach for a pain killer of some description, or apply ice or heat to the area. But what if this doesn’t resolve the issue? Where should a person go for treatment?
A 2015 study can help answer this. Around 700 patients were involved in the study. A little over 400 of these patients initially sought the help of their medical physician. The remainder went to their chiropractor. The results of this study found that more people who visited the chiropractor had better outcomes than those who saw their medical physician. Moreover, the average bill of treatment was around $300 less for the chiropractic patients.
Another study, this time in 2019 looked at the effects of patients turning to opioids to help manage their pain through their medical physicians. Some 22% of patients were put on some kind of short term opioid prescription to help manage their pain. Those who visited their chiropractor very rarely had to resort to such measures.
While opioids do have their place in pain relief, if there is a better and more efficient way of treating pain without them, then this should be considered first. The opioid addiction problem in the US is massive, so the ability to lower the dependence on opioids as a form of relief is a positive one.
Some states are also legislating chiropractic care or physical therapy as a first line treatment before seeking opioids are prescribed purely for this reason – to lessen the possibility of long term opioid addiction.
At Back and Body Medical, we are committed to helping you find relief from pain and also getting back to full fitness. Our team of chiropractors, physical therapists and medical masseurs are here to help you with our treatments. While chiropractic care is often our first go to with helping you find relief, we always collaborate with our team to identify the best treatment options for you based on your condition. Very often chiropractic along with PT or cold laser therapy yields the best results for relief and return to fitness.
All our treatments are evidence based and we are up to date with latest treatment protocols and research. We are here to help you.
Schedule an appointment here or call (212) 371-2000
Dr Shan Sivendra MD is the founder and medical director of Back and Body Medical in Midtown Manhattan. A board-certified medical doctor, certified acupuncturist, and Director of House Physicians at St. Barnabas Medical Center, Dr Sivendra has been practicing in New York since 1995.
He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Saint Barnabas Medical Center (affiliated with Mount Sinai School of Medicine) and received the Resident Research Award for three consecutive years.
Dr Sivendra has a background spanning internal medicine, pain management, and conservative spine rehabilitation, and was licensed in both the US and the UK.
At Back and Body Medical, he leads a multidisciplinary team of chiropractors, physical therapists, and acupuncturists dedicated to helping patients recover from pain without surgery or unnecessary medication.
Further Reading: Back Pain