It is well recognized that low back
pain (LBP) is one of the most prevalent and costly problems
facing the US health-care system. The body of research
exploring conservative therapies for LBP suggests there
is no one treatment that is best for all patients, but
several viable treatment options. As health
care costs soar, there is a need for coordinated, evidence-based
decision-making that takes into account the multidimensional
nature of LBP. Clinical care pathways are tools with
the potential to accomplish this need in both mono-disciplinary
and integrative care settings. This study proposes to
compare two innovative treatment approaches for LBP,
both of which focus on delivering individualized
care through evidence-based, clinical care pathways.
The primary aim of the project
is to determine the relative clinical efficacy of 1)
chiropractic care and 2)
multidisciplinary, integrative care in
200 patients with sub-acute or chronic LBP, in both
the short-term (after 12 weeks) and long-term (after
52 weeks). The primary outcome measure in this
study is patient-rated back pain .
Chiropractic care will include therapies within the
professional scope of practice. Integrative, multidisciplinary
care will include chiropractic, massage therapy, traditional
Chinese medicine (including acupuncture), medication,
cognitive behavioral therapy, exercise, and patient
education.
Secondary aims are to assess between
group differences in frequency of symptoms, disability,
fear avoidance behavior, self efficacy, general health,
improvement, patient satisfaction, work loss, medication
use, lumbar dynamic motion, and torso muscle endurance.
Patients' and providers' perceptions of treatment will
be described using qualitative methods and cost-effectiveness
and cost utility will be assessed in the short- and
long-term.
If you are interested in participating in the Low Back
Pain Study, please call (952) 886-7598 or click
here.
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