Association Between Chiropractic Care and Use of Prescription Opioids Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries with Spinal Pain: A Retrospective Observational Study
56% Lower Opioid Prescription Risk
SOURCE
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35101064/
REFERENCE
105
NICE
REFERENCE
123
organisation
Chiropractic & Manual Therapies
TITLE
Association Between Chiropractic Care and Use of Prescription Opioids Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries with Spinal Pain: A Retrospective Observational Study
56% Lower Opioid Prescription Risk
SOURCE
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35101064/
DISC COMMENTARY
This retrospective observational study analysed Medicare claims data for older adults with spinal pain diagnoses, comparing the likelihood of filling an opioid prescription between those who received chiropractic care and those who did not.
What was studied?
Researchers examined records for 55,949 older Medicare beneficiaries with spinal pain diagnosed between 2012 and 2016. Of these, 9,356 received chiropractic care and 46,593 did not. The analysis adjusted statistically for factors that might otherwise bias the comparison.
What did they find?
Patients who received chiropractic care were 56% less likely to fill an opioid prescription within a year of their initial diagnosis than those who did not, a hazard ratio of 0.44, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.40 to 0.49.
Why it matters
This is strong, large-scale, real-world evidence that receiving chiropractic care for spinal pain is associated with a substantially lower likelihood of ending up on prescription opioids.
Why we included it
It demonstrates the broader principle that non-pharmacological, first-line care can genuinely reduce a patient's reliance on medication down the line.
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What was studied?
Researchers examined records for 55,949 older Medicare beneficiaries with spinal pain diagnosed between 2012 and 2016. Of these, 9,356 received chiropractic care and 46,593 did not. The analysis adjusted statistically for factors that might otherwise bias the comparison.
What did they find?
Patients who received chiropractic care were 56% less likely to fill an opioid prescription within a year of their initial diagnosis than those who did not, a hazard ratio of 0.44, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.40 to 0.49.
Why it matters
This is strong, large-scale, real-world evidence that receiving chiropractic care for spinal pain is associated with a substantially lower likelihood of ending up on prescription opioids.
Why we included it
It demonstrates the broader principle that non-pharmacological, first-line care can genuinely reduce a patient's reliance on medication down the line.