Chiropractic Instead of Opioids: Million-Patient Study
Editorial Staff
Could 1 million patients help end the opioid crisis, position chiropractic as a front-line pain-relief service and in so doing, effectively change the face of health care? The Council on Chiropractic Guidelines and Practice Parameters (CCGPP) / Clinical Compass certainly hopes so. With one study already completed and pending publication, a second, significantly larger study is about to get underway that, like the first, will investigate how chiropractic care impacts opioid and medication use.
Dr. James Whedon, director of health services research at Southern California University of Health Sciences and recent appointee as co-chair of the policy committee of the Integrative Complementary Traditional Health Practices section of the American Public Health Association, will serve as principal investigator on the second study, as he did on the first. Performance Health is providing significant financial support to the Clinical Compass, with funds earmarked for this second study, which is set to begin by year’s end and should yield reportable data within 18 months.
"This second study will have a massive impact on patients, providers of health services, payers and policy makers," said Jay Greenstein, DC, chairman of the Clinical Compass. "We will not just be moving the needle with this study, we will be changing the game on how healthcare is delivered in our country, and be a major force in reducing opioid addiction."
The first study, conducted last year and involving more than 12,000 LBP patients, found that patients who visited a chiropractor were significantly less likely to fill an opioid prescription and accrued dramatically lower annual charges for opioid prescriptions compared to non-recipients of chiropractic care.
To learn more about the Clinical Compass and access research-based clinical practice guidelines spearheaded by the Compass, visit www.clinicalcompass.org.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
Some pundits say that the upcoming presidential and congressional races, and many local races, might be the most consequential in our country’s history. We do not have the choice of sitting on the sidelines and hoping our patients will carry our water. Unlike other medical professions such as physical therapists, podiatrists, nurses, etc., the health care class (AMA) will not protect us. We must be in the game.
The most common condition affecting the shoulder is rotator-cuff disease. From acute tears to chronic tendinopathy, it’s common and needs a thorough workup. In fact, even asymptomatic shoulders can have full-thickness rotator-cuff rears in up to 40% of instances. Let’s look at additional conditions that can present to the office with weakness, loss of motion and pain in the shoulder beyond rotator-cuff tears.
