The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as a sensory and emotional response to actual or perceived tissue injury.
One of the most frequent health complaints, Dorsalgia or back pain can be caused due to many conditions including aorta disorders, spine inflammation, malignancy, chest tumours, saddle trauma, dermatological problems, osseous pain, rheumatological diseases, Meniscoid Occlusion, and injury to the paraspinal muscles. The pain can be chronic or might erupt suddenly; it can be a piercing, burning sensation or a dull ache. Back pain management clinics work to alleviate back pain through medication, exercise, patient education, modalities of physical therapy, education, and occasionally surgery.
In back pain management clinics, the patient is interviewed to gather details of his/her medical history and to identify any “yellow flags” or “red flags” that could be contributing to his/her present medical condition. The medical practitioner would generally question the client as to the time of day the pain strikes, the specific site of pain, whether the ache is dull or sharp, and about any previous injury. Both yellow flags and red flags are risk factors connected to disability or chronic pain like back pain. While the yellow flags are predominantly psychosocial and can be overcome through a change in the focus of treatment; if the back pain is linked to red flags like weight loss, fever, and age greater than 50 years, the patient is considered for more urgent attention.
In addition to interviewing the clients, back pain management clinics subject the patients to a physical examination and perform essential tests. This would include assessing the patient’s posture, gait and mobility; performing a neurological evaluation; and taking the necessary x-rays and blood tests, MRI and/or CT scans.
Once the causative factor(s) for the back pain has been determined, the appropriate treatment is recommended. The patient would be advised to return to the clinic after a stipulated period to assess the efficacy of the treatment. If the treatment appears to be ineffective, alternate treatments would be suggested.
The reality is that the medical management of Dorsalgia in the conventional way has besides costing a lot, been unsuccessful. At such a juncture, more and more back pain management clinics might turn to chiropractic care.
