Chiropractic, Not Opioids: Laying Groundwork Locally
Dynamic Chiropractic Staff
| DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
The chiropractic profession appreciates its ability to provide a drug-free solution to the opioid crisis, but getting that message out to the masses – particularly the public that unwittingly takes them and policy-makers who continue to allow MDs to overprescribe them – is another thing.
As is often the case with national change, local efforts may lay the groundwork. One example: "An Opioid Exit Strategy: How Chiropractors May Hold the Key," which aired on CBS' Harrisburg, Pa., affiliate last week. Robb Hanrahan prefaces his CBS 21 "special assignment" by referencing the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP), stating: "This public health emergency is being addressed by government at many levels, but the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress thinks it can change that, with its "conservative care first" approach."
The segment highlights Dr. Scott Colman, a Middletown, Pa., DC who offers this great soundbite, among others: "If someone has a pebble in their shoe, you can take a lot meds to cover the pain, but we're more interested in what we can do to remove the pebble from the shoe."
The segment also includes Pennsylvania Chiropractic Association (PCA) President, Dr. Allison Benedetto, who states: "We are asking state and federal governments within their authority to mandate that patients with these common muscular-skeletal pains that they should seek treatment first from a conservative care provider such as a doctor of chiropractic."
Finally, Mr. Hanrahan emphasizes that the tide toward conservative care and away from opioids is indeed turning, and reiterates Dr. Colman's pebble metaphor in praising chiropractic:
"The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress wants to bring their alternative to opioids to the forefront of the addiction crisis. Laws have already been changed in several states to provide equal insurance reimbursement for all providers offering 'conservative care' treatment. Getting the pebble out of the shoe is a great metaphor for how chiropractic care starts with a deeper approach to treating pain."
The F4CP encourages you to watch this segment and share it to your practice website and social media platforms.
The proposed merger of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners and Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards was approved by NBCE delegates and FCLB members at their respective annual meetings, held jointly in Atlanta, Ga., this year. Per the new bylaws, the new entity takes the NBCE name, with FCLB continuing as a department within NBCE. The federation will continue to enjoy Board of Directors representation on what will be a single, expanded board.
Before introducing subscapularis syndrome as an upper extremity analog, it is essential to revisit piriformis syndrome as a well-established example of myogenic pseudo-radiculopathy. Piriformis syndrome has long served as a clinical exception to disc-centric models of lower extremity pain and provides an important framework for understanding how deep muscular dysfunction can mimic radiculopathy in the absence of nerve root compression.
Pain has become the dominant language of musculoskeletal healthcare. Numeric pain-rating scales and symptom reports are routinely used as primary indicators of clinical success. But while pain reduction is meaningful, it is an incomplete and often misleading representation of recovery. This has real consequences for patient adherence, long-term outcomes, and how conservative care is perceived within the broader healthcare system.
