ACA adopts clinical practice guidelines for treatment of low back pain

The American Chiropractic Association (ACA), during its annual House of Delegates meeting March 17, approved a resolution to adopt clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of low back pain from the American College of Physicians (ACP) and the Council on Chiropractic Guidelines and Practice Parameters (CCGPP). The association seeks to direct its members, payers and policy makers toward shared interpretations of current evidence-based best practices.

The ACP guideline, "Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline from the American College of Physicians," was published Feb. 14 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The guideline recommends first using non-invasive, non-drug treatments before turning to drug therapies for both acute and chronic low back pain, and further advises that opioids be used only as a last resort.

In conjunction with the ACP guideline, ACA encourages the use of "Clinical Practice Guideline: Chiropractic Care for Low Back Pain," which are chiropractic-specific guidelines from CCGPP that offer guidance in the management or co-management of low-back pain patients within a chiropractic office.

"By identifying and adopting guidelines that ACA believes reflect best practices based on the best available scientific evidence on low back pain, we hope not only to enhance outcomes but also to create greater consensus regarding patient care among chiropractors, payers and policy makers," said ACA President David Herd, DC.