FOX News with Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Marc Siegel’s on Opioids; Use anything but Opioids.

Fox is often known for its opinion-based reporting, but Dr. Marc. Siegel’s interview suggests that a few of his colleagues have been responsible for the amount of Opioid addicted patients that are out there today.  Opioids do not work for back pain, yet they have often been recommended for years.  He also endorsed chiropractic care as a better option than using medications, especially Opioids.

In his opinion, the drug companies and doctors have been complicit and are responsible for the problem.  He is suggesting that while he can prescribe or inject a painful area, his knowledge of why you hurt is poor, and patients are better off seeing someone else who has the skills to treat the painful problem better.

While he suggested a number of interventions including chiropractic, physical therapy, and other interventions, which follow the recent recommendations for back pain in the Annals of Internal Medicine,  his recommendation of anything but Opioids mirrors the recent back pain guidelines.

While it is not helpful to the public to have a basket of things to try, which is part of the problem, the truth is that according to Consumer Reports and other sources, doctors of chiropractic have the best patient satisfaction rates for the problems that are treated in their office, the most common being back pain.

Chiropractic is not a treatment method, but does include manipulation which is quite effective for back pain.   Most chiropractors also employ physical therapy modalities, but sports doctors will use myofascial release, exercises, and even active evaluation which offers a better diagnosis of why you hurt and more importantly, a better path to relief.

Sure, sometimes resolving back pain the right way can be more time-consuming and be more costly depending on the insurance plan you have, however, a proper diagnosis and appropriate treatment protocols can offer a better quality of life for years to come, something that is priceless.

While not explicit in the Annals of Internal Medicine recommendations, the evidence, and all roads lead to increased use of chiropractic is most likely to result in lower overall healthcare costs for back pain treatment.

Consumers have choices on whom they can use to get the best results for back problems at the lowest cost.  Be sure to choose an insurance plan that allows you to see those who are likely to be the most satisfying method for reducing back pain; chiropractic.

If you have back problems, chiropractic is your first and best choice.