Most doctor’s receive little education specifically for pain. Specialists are important and often view pain very differently.
Low-back pain is the fifth most common reason for doctor’s visits and accounts for more than $26 billion in direct health care costs.
The American Pain Society found that evidence for the use of many low back pain interventions was mixed, sparse or not available.
The APS new statement of guidelines:
- For interdisciplinary rehabilitation.
- For interdisciplinary discussion of risks and benefits before surgery.
- For interdisciplinary discussion of risks and benefits before epidural steroid injections.
- For interdisciplinary discussion of risks and benefits before spinal cord stimulation.
- Cannot recommend disc replacement.
- Against injecting fluid into the disc.
- Against joint corticosteroid injection.
In otherwords, there’s too few proven fixes, too few experts and none should be solely relied upon.