To Your Health September, 2022 (Vol. 16, Issue 09) |
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Chiropractic: The Best Choice for Seniors With Spinal Pain
By Editorial Staff
Compared to what? How about pain medication, including opioids, which continue to be associated with misuse, abuse, addiction and death in simply unacceptable numbers. Opioid use within the senior population is particularly concerning because older adults are often already taking multiple medications (known as
polypharmacy); and because many seniors suffer acute and chronic pain. Here's one big reason why the best choice is chiropractic.
Seniors with spinal pain who receive chiropractic care are considerably less likely to use opioids, suggests research; we're talking more than 50 percent less likely. Among 55,000+ Medicare beneficiaries 965-99 years of age) diagnosed with spinal pain whose claims were analyzed over a five-year period, the odds of filling an opioid prescription within one year of diagnosis were 56 percent lower among chiropractic care recipients vs. non-recipients. The study authors' conclusion speaks for itself:
"Older Medicare enrollees with spinal pain who saw both a chiropractor and a primary care physician had less than half the risk of filling an opioid prescription, as compared to those who received primary medical care alone. The association was most pronounced among those who saw a chiropractor within the first 30 days of care."
What these study findings, published in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies, don't mention is that avoiding opioids isn't the only reason chiropractic is seniors' best choice; chiropractic is also incredibly effective for both treating and preventing spinal pain! That's a win-win every senior deserves.