Receipt of PT, Chiropractic Care Reportedly Low for Comorbid Chronic LBP, Opioid Use Disorder
Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 13, 2023 -- For Medicare beneficiaries with chronic low back pain (CLBP) and opioid use disorder (OUD), receipt of physical therapy (PT) and chiropractic care is low overall and lower for racial and ethnic minority groups, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in JAMA Network Open.
Fiona Bhondoekhan, from the Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, Rhode Island, and colleagues examined differences in receipt of PT or chiropractic care for CLBP among persons with comorbid OUD in a retrospective cohort study using a 20 percent random sample of national Medicare administrative data from Jan. 1, 2016, to Dec. 31, 2018. Data were analyzed for 69,362 Medicare beneficiaries.
The researchers found that 10.2 percent of all beneficiaries received any PT or chiropractic care three months after a new CLBP episode. Compared with non-Hispanic White patients, the odds of receiving chiropractic care within three months of CLBP diagnosis were lower for Black or African American and Hispanic persons after adjustment (adjusted odds ratios, 0.46 and 0.54, respectively). The longest median time to chiropractic care was seen for American Indian or Alaska Native and Black or African American persons (median, 8.5 and 7.0 days, respectively), while the shortest median time was seen for Asian or Pacific Islander persons (median, 0 days). For PT, no significant racial and ethnic differences were observed.
"Efforts are needed to elucidate and address the individual, practitioner, and system-level risk factors that limit racial equity in guideline-recommended pain management in general and for persons with OUD," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted September 2023
Read this next
BMI Cutoff of 30 for Obesity May Be Too High for Middle-Aged, Older Adults
FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- The optimal body mass index (BMI) cutoff point appears to be 27 kg/m2 for detecting obesity in middle-aged and older adults, according to a study presented...
Emergency Inguinal Hernia Surgery Rates Increased With Lower Country Income
FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- For patients undergoing inguinal hernia surgery, emergency surgery rates increase from high- to low-income countries, according to a study published online...
Maternal Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Levels Higher in Black Than White Women
FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels are higher in Black than White pregnant women, supporting the use of accounting for these differences in...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.