A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that most doctors are not adhering to effective treatment guidelines for back pain. The study found that doctors were too often prescribing narcotics and ordering costly MRI or CT scans when treatment guidelines show that physical therapy and medications such as acetaminophen and NSAIDS were more effective in treatment of back pain. The study found that patients were partly to blame for the ordering of the costly scans which mostly do not alter the treatment plan because some patients feel the need to have a full investigation of their back pain, even if the scan would not change the recommended treatment. Also, the study cautioned placing blame on the doctors because the treatment plan for back pain had been conflicted until recently and it takes 17 years on average for new treatment protocols to be widely adopted.
While most back pain resolves within 3 months, some of us are not as fortunate to have our back pain resolve within a short time. I have represented individuals with a lot of different medical conditions since I have been practicing disability law. A common medical condition that I see is back pain. This medical condition can make it difficult for you to work because you may need to constantly alternate between sitting and standing throughout the day. The pain may be so excruciating that you have trouble sleeping at night. You may need to lie down during the day because of the pain or you sleep during the day because of the lack of sleep from the night before. All of these issues make it difficult to perform even sedentary work. If you feel that your back condition prevents you from working, please call Cuddigan Law for a free evaluation of your claim. Our phone number is (402)-933-5400 or (402) 261 4005. We meet with clients by appointment at 3800 Normal Blvd., Ste 201 Lincoln, NE 68506.You can also contact us at [email protected] .
