A Shift in Standard Back Pain Treatment

By Physicians Rehabilitation –

Low-back pain [LBP] in active patients is common and often recurrent. The causes of LBP are diverse, and precise identification of the pain generators is often elusive. Primary care practitioners frequently diagnose mechanical LBP in patients without a clear path of optimal care. Medical evidence, including the US government sponsored AHCPR meta-analysis, has concluded that 85-90% of LBP will resolve within 6-12 weeks with only palliative care; therefore many physicians question whether specific intervention is required during this period.

However, studies suggest that back pain is typically recurrent, and many patients suffer chronic symptoms. Studies indicate that over 60% of patients with LBP suffered at least one recurrence the following year. The high incidence of recurrence and chronicity point to the inadequacy of management protocols, and warrants analysis and revision of our algorithms. Therefore, many physicians endorse VAX-D and physical therapy.

Disc injury and degeneration are the primary generators of LBP and radicular symptoms. Improved understanding of the pathophysiology allows for (and mandates) the institution of treatments that directly target the underlying sources of the pain. Only patients with progressive neurological deficits or cauda equina syndrome are considered early surgical candidates. The vast majority of patients do not have these neurological deficits but suffer severe enough pain to warrant evaluation.

Chronic back and neck pain has become one of the most significant medical and socioeconomic problems in the world. Despite the overwhelming statistics on the problem, the number of chronic cases continues to grow. Stan- dardizing the evaluation and care of patients is critical. There is a need for early, effective, target therapy for the treatment of disc pathology.

AX-D therapy addresses the biomechanical aspects of discogenic disease and should be considered for patients with chronic low back and neck pain with or without radiculopathy if their symptoms have resolved in the first four weeks.

The VAX-D system is being utilized by leading physicians and surgeons in the fields of orthopedics, neurosurgery, pain management and occupational medicine and family practice. VAX-D is being prescribed in the United States, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Colombia, Australia, Spain and Italy. In many back pain centers across the US, VAX-D has been adopted as the primary method for the management of chronic disc disease.

VAX-D therapy is a safe, cost effective, non-surgical treatment that offers hope for the millions of people who suffer from chronic pain everyday. VAX-D celebrates a proud history and commitment to the patients for whom we care, and for those whose lives we have forever changed.

Consider These Facts On Back Pain & Back Surgery…

• Back pain is the number one cause of work absence after colds and flu.
• 5.4 million Americans are disabled annually due to back pain.
• More money is spent on the treatment of chronic pain than is spent on heart disease, AIDS and cancer combined.
• The average cost for back surgery is about $40,000.00.
• CBS News estimates that there are 80,000 unnecessary spinal surgeries in the US each year.
• Only 37% of patients undergoing their first back surgery returned to work.
• Only 27% of patients with more than one back surgery return to work.
• 70% of patients who had lumbar back surgeries still complained of back pain. 23% complained of onstant pain, and 35% were still under treatment.