Evidence-based guidelines call for collaborative care! Especially for chronic pain patients.
As with any medical procedure, manipulation may not be the right avenue of treatment for every patient with mechanical spine pain. An evidence-based practitioner is able to recognize the appropriate time to refer a patient for other treatment options (i.e. physical rehabilitation, facet/epidural injections, prescription medication), even if that time is prior to initiating his own method of treatment.
As a Primary Spine Practitioner (PSP) with a treat and release philosophy I focus on a diagnostic specific treatment approach with an emphasis on active care. It is important to keep the patients primary care physician informed on their patient's condition with a discharge summary. Initial case narrative reports are also available upon request.
Our office practices a treat and release philosophy of care. Patients with mechanical spinal pain, depending on the individual and their progress in recovery, are prescribed a trial of manipulative therapy and other manual therapies of 1-2 visits per week for 3-4 weeks with re-evaluations at appropriate intervals to monitor their response to care. People who have not responded favorably within 4-8 visits are likely in the need to visit another healthcare provider for a different type of therapy.