Overtreating chronic back pain: Time to back off?

Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine

Volumn 22, Issue 1, 2009, Pages 62-68

  Deyo, Richard A ^a,c   Mirza, Sohail K ^b   Turner, Judith A ^b   Martin, Brook I ^b  

^a OREGON HEALTH AND SCIENCE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON   (United States)

^c Family Medicine   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

CORTICOSTEROID; OPIATE DERIVATIVE; TESTOSTERONE;

BACKACHE; CHRONIC DISEASE; CHRONIC PAIN; DISABILITY; ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION; HEALTH CARE COST; HUMAN; HYPOGONADISM; LIBIDO DISORDER; LUMBAR SPINE; MEDICARE; NOCICEPTION; NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING; POSTMARKETING SURVEILLANCE; REVIEW; SIDE EFFECT; SPINE FUSION; TESTOSTERONE BLOOD LEVEL; TREATMENT INDICATION; TREATMENT OUTCOME;

ANALGESICS, OPIOID; CHRONIC DISEASE; HUMANS; LOW BACK PAIN; PATIENT CARE; SPINAL INJURIES; TIME FACTORS;

EID: 58549109212     PISSN: 15572625     EISSN: 15587118     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2009.01.080102     Document Type: Review

References (80)

1. Raofi S, Schappert SM. Medication therapy in ambulatory medical care: United States, 2003-04. Vital Health Stat 13 2006;13:1-40.
2. Friedly J, Chan L, Deyo R. Increases in lumbosacral injections in the Medicare population: 1994-2001. Spine 2007;32:1754-60.
3. Deyo RA, Gray DT, Kreuter W, Mirza S, Martin BI. United States trends in lumbar fusion surgery for degenerative conditions. Spine 2005;30:1441-5.
4. Compton WM, Volkow ND. Major increases in opioid analgesic abuse in the United States: concerns and strategies. Drug Alcohol Depend 2006;81:103-7.
5. Deyo RA, Mirza SK, Martin BI. Back pain prevalence and visit rates: estimates from US national surveys, 2002. Spine 2006;31:2724-7.
6. Martin BI, Mirza SK, Comstock BA, Gray DT, Kreuter W, Deyo RA. Are lumbar spine reoperation rates falling with greater use of fusion surgery and new surgical technology? Spine 2007;32:2119-26.
7. Paulozzi LJ, Budnitz DS, Xi Y. Increasing deaths from opioid analgesics in the United States. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2006;15:618-27.
8. Meier B. Three officials are sentenced in case involving OxyContin. The New York Times, July 21, 2007;C4.
9. Abelson R. Medtronic will settle accusations on kickbacks. The New York Times, July 19, 2006;C4.
10. Abelson R. Financial ties are cited as issue in spine study. The New York Times, January 30, 2008.
11. Mitchell JM. Utilization trends for advanced imaging procedures: evidence from individuals with private insurance coverage in California. Medical Care 2008;46:460-6
12. Weiner DK, Kim YS, Bonino P, Wang T. Low back pain in older adults: are we utilizing healthcare resources wisely? Pain Med 2006;7:143-50.
13. Lurie JD, Birkmeyer NJ, Weinstein JN. Rates of advanced spinal imaging and spine surgery. Spine 2003;28:616-20.
14. Swedlow A, Johnson G, Smithline N, Milstein A. Increased costs and rates of use in the California workers' compensation system as a result of self-referral by physicians. N Engl J Med 1992;327:1502-6.
15. Rao JK, Kroenke K, Mihaliak KA, Eckert GJ, Weinberger M. Can guidelines impact the ordering of magneteic resonsance imaging studies by primary care providers for low back pain? Am J Manag Care 2002;8:27-35.
16. Schroth WS, Schectman JM, Elinsky EG, Panagides JC. Utilization of medical services for the treatment of acute low back pain: conformance with clinical guidelines. J Gen Intern Med 1992;7:486-91.
17. McPhillips-Tangum CA, Cherkin DC, Rhodes LA, Markham C. Reasons for repeated medical visits among patients with chronic back pain. J Gen Intern Med 1998;13:289-95.
18. Rhodes LA, McPhillips-Tangum CA, Markham C, Klenk R. The power of the visible: the meaning of diagnostic tests in chronic back pain. Soc Science Med 1999;48:1189-203.
19. Mitchell JM. Do financial incentives linked to ownership of specialty hospitals affect physicians' practice patterns? Medical Care 2008;46:732-7.
20. Jensen MC, Brant-Zawadzki MN, Obuchowski N, Modic MT, Malkasian D, Ross JS. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine in people without back pain. N Engl J Med 1994;331:69-73.
21. Boden SD, Davis DO, Dina TS, Patronas NJ, Wiesel SW. Abnormal magnetic-resonance scans of the lumbar spine in asymptomatic subjects. A prospective investigation. J Bone Joint Surg 1990;72:403-8.
22. Jarvik JJ, Hollingworth W, Heagerty P, Haynor DR, Deyo RA. The longitudinal assessment of Imaging and disability of the back (LAIDBack) Study: baseline data. Spine 2001;26:1158-66.
23. Jarvik JG, Hollingworth W, Martin B, et al. Rapid magnetic resonance imaging vs radiographs for patients with low back pain; a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2003;289:2810-8.
24. Djais N, Kalim H. The role of lumbar spine radiography in the outcomes of patients with simple acute low back pain. APLAR Journal of Rheumatology 2005;8:45-50.
25. Gilbert FJ, Grant AM, Gillan MG, et al. Low back pain: influence of early MR imaging or CT on treatment and outcome-multicenter randomized trial. Radiology 2004;231:343-51.
26. Kendrick D, Fielding K, Bentley E, Kerslake R, Miller P, Pringle M. Radiography of the lumbar spine in primary care patients with low back pain: randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2001;322:400-5.
27. Kerry S, Hilton S, Dundas D, Rink E, Oakeshott P. Radiography for low back pain: a randomised controlled trial and observational study in primary care. Br J Gen Pract 2002;52:469-74.
28. Modic MT, Obuchowski NA, Ross JS, et al. Acute low back pain and radiculopathy: MR imaging findings and their prognostic role and effect on outcome. Radiology 2005;237:597-604.
29. Deyo RA, Diehl AK, Rosenthal M. Reducing roentgenography use. Can patient expectations be altered? Arch Intern Med 1987;147:141-5.
30. Chou R, Qaseem A, Snow V, Casey D, Cross JT, Shekelle P, Owens DK. Diagnosis and treatment of low back pain: a joint clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society. Ann Intern Med 2007;147:478-91.
31. Martin BI, Deyo RA, Mirza SK, Turner JA, Comstock BA, Hollingworth W, Sullivan SD. Expenditures and health status among adults with back and neck problems. JAMA 2008;299:656-64.
32. Caudill-Slosberg MA, Schwartz LM, Woloshin S. Office visits and analgesic prescriptions for musculoskeletal pain in US: 1980 vs. 2000. Pain 2004;109:514-9.
33. Franklin GM, Mai J, Wickizer T, Turner JA, Fulton-Kehoe D, Grant L. Opioid dosing trends and mortality in Washington State workers' compensation, 1996-2002. Am J Ind Med 2005;48:91-9.
34. Luo X, Pietrobon R, Hey L. Patterns and trends in opioid use among individuals with back pain in the United States. Spine 2004;29:884-91.
35. Zerzan JT, Morden NE, Soumerai S, et al. Trends and geographic variation of opiate medication use in state Medicaid fee-for-service programs, 1996 to 2002. Med Care 2006;44:1005-10.
36. Katz DA, Hays LR. Adolescent OxyContin abuse. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psych 2004;43:231-4.
37. Friedman RA. The changing face of teenage drug abuse-the trend toward prescription drugs. N Engl J Med 2006;354:1448-50.
38. Sullivan MD, Edlund MJ, Steffick D, Unutzer J. Regular use of prescribed opioids: association with common psychiatric disorders. Pain 2005;119:95-103.
39. Martell BA, O'Connor PG, Kerns RD, Becker WC, Morales KH, Kosten TR, Fiellin DA. Systematic review: opioid treatment for chronic back pain: prevalence, efficacy, and association with addiction. Ann Intern Med 2007;146:116-27.
40. Deshpande A, Furlan A, Maillis-Gagnon A, Atlas S, Turk D. Opioids for chronic low-back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007;18:CD004959.
41. Eriksen J, Sjogren P, Bruera E, Ekholm O, Rasmussen NK. Critical issues on opioids in chronic non-cancer pain: an epidemiological study. Pain 2006;125:172-9.
42. Sullivan MD, Edlund MJ, Zhang L, Unutzer J, Wells KB. Association between mental health disorders, problem drug use, and regular prescription opioid use. Arch Intern Med 2006;166:2087-93.
43. Wasan AD, Butler SF, Budman SH, Benoit C, Fernandez K, Jamison RN. Psychiatric history and psychologic adjustment as risk factors for aberrant drug-related behavior among patients with chronic pain. Clin J Pain 2007;23:307-15.
44. Edlund MJ, Steffick D, Hudson T, Harris KM, Sullivan M. Rick factors for clinically recognized opioid abuse and dependence among veterans using opioids for chronic non-cancer pain. Pain 2007;129:355-62.
45. Wasan AD, Davar G, Jamison R. The association between negative affect and opioid analgesia in patients with discogenic low back pain. Pain 2005;117:450-61.
46. Bair MJ, Robinson RL, Katon W, Kroenke K. Depression and pain comorbidity: a literature review. Arch Intern Med 2003;163:2433-45.
47. Demyttenaere K, Bruffaerts R, Lee S, et al. Mental disorders among persons with chronic back or neck pain: results from the World Mental Health Surveys. Pain 2007;129:332-42.
48. Carragee EJ. Psychological and functional profiles in select subjects with low back pain. Spine J 2001;1:198-204.
49. Chu, LF, Clark DJ, Angst MS. Opioid tolerance and hyperalgesia in chronic pain patients after one month of oral morphine therapy: a preliminary prospective study. J Pain 2006;7:43-8.
50. Chang G, Chen L, Mao J. Opioid tolerance and hyperalgesia. Med Clin North Am 2007;91:199-211.
51. Melzack R, Coderre TJ, Katz J, Vaccarino AL. Central Neuroplasticity and pathological pain. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2001;933:157-74.
52. Chu LF, Angst MS, Clark D. Opioid-induced hyperalgesia in humans: molecular mechanisms and clinical considerations. Clin J Pain 2008;24:479-96.
53. Ossipov MH, Lai J, King T, Vanderah TW, Porreca F. Underlying mechanisms of pronociceptive consequences of prolonged morphine exposure. Biopolymers 2005;80:319-24.
54. Daniell HW. Hypogonadism in men consuming sustained-action oral opioids. J Pain 2002;3:377-84.
55. Roberts LJ, Finch PM, Pullan PT, Bhagat CI, Price LM. Sex hormone suppression by intrathecal opioids: a prospective study. Clin J Pain 2002;18:144-8.
56. Rajagopal A, Vassilopoulou-Sellin R, Palmer JL, Kaur G, Bruera E. Symptomatic hypogonadism in male survivors of cancer with chronic exposure to opioids. Cancer 2004;100:851-8.
57. Airaksinen O, Brox JI, Cedraschi C, et al. European guidelines for the management of chronic nonspecific low back pain. Eur Spine J 2006;15(Suppl 2):S192-S300.
58. Armon C, Argoff CE, Samuels J, Backonja M. Assessment: use of epidural steroid injections to treat radicular lumbosacral pain. Report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology 2007;68:723-9.
59. Arden NK, Price C, Reading I, et al. A multicentre randomized controlled trial of epidural corticosteroid injections for sciatica: the WEST study. Rheumatology 2005;44:1399-406.
60. Carette S, Leclaire R, Marcoux S, et al. Epidural corticosteroid injections for sciatica due to herniated nucleus pulposus. N Engl J Med 1997;336:1634-40.
61. Cuckler JM, Bernini PA, Wiesel SW, Booth RE, Rothman RH, Pickens GT. The use of epidural steroids in the treatment of lumbar radicular pain. A prospective, randomized, double-blind study. J Bone Joint Surg Am 1985;67:63-6.
62. Wilson-MacDonald, Burt G, Griffin D, Glynn C. Epidural steroid injection for nerve root compression. J Bone Joint Surg Br 2005;87:352-5.
63. Chou R, Rosenquist R, Loeser J. ACP-APS guidelines for surgical and interventional procedures for chronic low back pain. Presented at Symposium 312 of the American Pain Society 27th Annual Scientific Meeting, Tampa, Florida, May 8, 2008.
64. Carrino JA, Morrison WB, Parker L, Schweitzer ME, Levin DC, Sunshine JH. Spinal injection procedures: volume, provider distribution and reimbursement in the US Medicare population from 1993 to 1999. Radiology 2002;225:723-9.
65. Mirza SK, Deyo RA. Systematic review of randomized trials comparing lumbar fusion surgery to non-operative care for treatment of chronic back pain. Spine 2007;32:816-23.
66. Lurie JD, Weinstein JN. Shared decision-making and the orthopaedic workforce. Clin Orthop 2001;385:68-75.
67. Keller RB, Atlas SJ, Soule DN, Singer DE, Deyo RA. Relationship between rates and outcomes of operative treatment for lumbar disc herniation and spinal stenosis. J Bone Joint Surg 1999;81:752-62.
68. Deyo RA, Nachemson A, Mirza SK. Spinal-fusion surgery: the case for restraint. N Engl J Med 2004;350:722-6.
69. Fritzell P, Hagg O, Nordwall A. Complications in lumbar fusion surgery for chronic low back pain: comparison of three surgical techniques used in a prospective randomized study. A report from the Swedish Lumbar Spine Study Group. Eur Spine J 2003;12:178-89.
70. Thomsen K, Christensen FB, Eiskjaer SP, Hansen ES, Fruensgaard S, Bunger CE. The effect of pedicle screw instrumentation on functional outcome and fusion rates in posterolateral lumbar spinal fusion: a prospective, randomized clinical study. Spine 1997;22:2813-22.
71. Maghout-Juratli S, Franklin GM, Mirza SK, Wickizer TM, Fulton-Kehoe D. Lumbar fusion outcomes in Washington State workers' compensation. Spine 2006;31:2715-23.
72. Social Security Administration Office of Policy. Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, 2005. SSA publication no. 13-11826. Washington, DC: Social Security Administration; 2006.
73. Hayden JA, van Tulder MW, Malmivaara AV, Koes BW. Meta-analysis: exercise therapy for nonspecific low back pain. Ann Intern Med 2005;142:765-75.
74. Lorig KR, Laurent DD, Deyo RA, Marnell ME, Minor MA, Ritter PL. Can a back pain e-mail discussion group improve health status and lower health care costs? A randomized study. Arch Intern Med 2002;162:792-6.
75. Hoffman BM, Papas RK, Chatkoff DK, Kerns RD. Meta-analysis of psychological interventions for chronic low back pain. Health Psychol 2007;26:1-9.
76. Staal JB, Hiobil H, Twisk JW, Smid T, Koke AJ, van Mechelen W. Graded activity for low back pain in occupational health care: a randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med 2004;140:77-84.
77. Deyo RA. A key medical decision maker: the patient. BMJ 2001;323:466-7.
78. Bodenheimer T, Wagner EH, Grumbach K. Improving primary care for patients with chronic illness. JAMA 2002;288:1775-9.
79. Bodenheimer T, Wagner EH, Grumbach K. Improving primary care for patients with chronic illness: the chronic care model, part 2. JAMA 2002;288:1909-14.
80. Feder BJ. Medicare plans to deny coverage of artificial disks. The New York Times, May 26, 2007;C9.