Patterns of initial treatment and subsequent care escalation among medicare beneficiaries with neck pain: a retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: To compare long-term care escalation encounters among three care patterns for new episodes of neck pain among Medicare beneficiaries.

Methods: We examined Medicare claims spanning a four-year period for beneficiaries with new episodes of neck pain beginning in 2019. All patients were continuously enrolled under Medicare parts A, B, and D and aged 65-99 years.

Piloting an Educational Approach to Assess eHealth Literacy and Evidence-Based Medicine in Integrative Health: A Feasibility and Validation Study.

Low rates of online health literacy put consumers at risk of misinformation, but this could be mitigated through practitioner engagement. Integrative health (IH) crosses health care disciplines, so it is well-positioned to improve health information sharing. IH practitioners require evidence-based medicine (EBM) and electronic health literacy (eHL) competencies to make such impact.

Building the Case for Telehealth Yoga for Minors With Arthritis and Chronic Pain: A Perspective.

Childhood arthritis has a prevalence of around 300 000 US children. It has no cure, and is just one of many juvenile conditions associated with pain, fatigue, and a lifetime of medical care. Yoga has demonstrated effectiveness in improving symptoms and quality of life for adults with arthritis.

Use of Complementary and Integrative Health Approaches in Adults with Long COVID in the US, a Nationally Representative Survey.

Long COVID is a serious, complex condition that has affected the lives of millions of people globally. Complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches offer a wide range of potential therapies for the management of long COVID symptoms. However, there is limited information available about the utilization of CIH among long COVID patients.

Treatment Approaches Utilized in Africa for the Management of Low Back Pain: A Scoping Review.

Objectives: This study aimed to review and describe the scientific literature on approaches used for the management of nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP) in Africa.

Methods: For this scoping review, a comprehensive literature search was conducted using the EBSCO host platform to search the following databases: CINAHL with full text, MEDLINE with Full Text, PubMed, Springer Nature Journals, Directory of Open Access Journals, Science Direct, Gale OneFile: Health & Med, Google Scholar, and Gale Health & wellness. Articles published between January 1990 and March 2021 were included.

Fraud in genetic testing: Swindling the system.

Purpose: Health care fraud comprises a sizable portion of United States health care expenditure and inflicts undue burden on payors, patients, and the health care system overall. The genetic testing industry is rapidly growing, which propagates opportunities for health care fraud. Although federal organizations have highlighted it as an issue, there is limited research exploring genetic testing fraud.

Feasibility and Acceptability of Yoga for Adolescents with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis.

Background/objectives: Yoga is effective for adults with arthritis but unstudied in adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods: A pilot study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of an 8-week group yoga intervention for adolescents ages 14-18 with JIA. Each 75-min session included breathing techniques, relaxation, mindfulness, and modified yoga postures, using yoga props and a rope wall.

Trends in Utilization and Cost of Nonpharmacological Pain Therapies in the United States Under Medicare Part B, 2000-2022.

Many clinical practice guidelines for management of pain disorders now favor first-line use of nonpharmacological therapies (NPT). However, Medicare coverage of NPT is limited. Using a serial cross-sectional design, we examined temporal trends in the utilization and cost of NPT procedures commonly used to treat pain under Medicare.

Spinal ependymoma presenting as subtle neurological findings in a VA chiropractic clinic: a case report in differential diagnosis and appropriate use of diagnostic imaging.

Background: Lhermitte's sign is a nonspecific historical and exam finding that carries with it a differential diagnosis of cervical myelopathy, multiple sclerosis, intradural tumors, or other central nervous system pathology. Regardless of the suspected diagnosis, further diagnostic investigation is indicated to determine etiology of symptoms.

Case Presentation: In this case, a 67-year-old male Veteran presents to a Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient chiropractic clinic with an insidious 6-month onset of neck pain with historical description of a positive Lhermitte's sign, a single episode of bladder incontinence, and mild changes in upper extremity manual dexterity.

Intra-Examiner Reliability and Validity of Sagittal Cervical Spine Mensuration Methods Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks.

The biomechanical analysis of spine and postural misalignments is important for surgical and non-surgical treatment of spinal pain. We investigated the examiner reliability of sagittal cervical alignment variables compared to the reliability and concurrent validity of computer vision algorithms used in the PostureRay software 2024. A retrospective database of 254 lateral cervical radiographs of patients between the ages of 11 and 86 is studied.

Sagittal Full-Spine vs. Sectional Cervical Lateral Radiographs: Are the Measurements of Cervical Alignment Interchangeable?

This study assessed the relationship between cervical spine parameters taken on standing full-spine lateral radiographic images compared to sectional lateral cervical radiographs. Full-spine (FS) and sectional lateral cervical (LC) radiographs from four spine treatment facilities across the USA retrospectively provided data collected on 220 persons to assess the comparison of three sagittal cervical radiographic measurements between the two views. The measures included cervical lordosis using the absolute rotation angle from C2-C7, sagittal cervical translation of C2-C7, and atlas plane angle to horizontal.

Excellence in Academic Physical Therapy: Promoting a Culture of Data Sharing.

Background And Purpose: Data analytics are increasingly important in health professions education to identify trends and inform organizational change in rapidly evolving environments. Unfortunately, limitations exist in data currently available to determine physical therapy (PT) academic excellence. It is imperative that the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT) be able to demonstrate data-informed progress in addressing the common challenges faced by Doctor of Physical Therapy programs.

Cost of chiropractic versus medical management of adults with spine-related musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review.

Background: The cost of spine-related pain in the United States is estimated at $134.5 billion. Spinal pain patients have multiple options when choosing healthcare providers, resulting in variable costs.

Symptoms of Patients With Vertebral Artery Dissection Presenting to Chiropractors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Early symptoms of vertebral artery dissection (VAD) may be nonspecific, including neck pain and headache. Neck pain and headache are also common reasons for patients to seek chiropractic care. We hypothesized that neck pain and/or headache would be the most prevalent symptoms among patients with undiagnosed VAD presenting to chiropractors compared to dizziness or other symptoms.

Preparing for and Responding to the Current Mental Health Tsunami: Embracing Mary Reilly's Call to Action.

Although occupational therapy has its roots in mental health practice, the profession has not been able to adequately and consistently address mental health issues that face society today. As we continue to experience both the protracted coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and political and social unrest, occupational therapy professionals must take action at individual, state, and national levels to assist in mitigating the current mental health tsunami and improving a fractured mental health care system. In this column, we define and explore issues facing the mental health care system and the different roles and perspectives that are relevant to occupational therapy professionals.

Dosing of lumbar spinal manipulative therapy and its association with escalated spine care: A cohort study of insurance claims.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between three distinct spinal manipulative therapy dose groups and escalated spine care by analyzing insurance claims from a cohort of patients with low back pain.

Methods: We compared three distinct spinal manipulative therapy dose groups (low = 1 SMT visits, moderate = 2-12 SMT visits, high = 13+ SMT visits), to a control group (no spinal manipulative therapy) regarding the outcome of escalated spine care. Escalated spine care procedures include imaging studies, injection procedures, emergency department visits, surgery, and opioid medication use.

Development and Implementation of a Flexible Yoga Therapy Protocol in the Group Acupuncture Therapy and Modified Yoga (GAPYOGA) Pilot Study.

Chronic pain is the most common reason U.S. adults seek medical care.

Feasibility and effectiveness of telehealth in the management of cervicothoracic and lumbar pain during the first six months of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: A case series.

Objectives: The primary study objective is to assess the effectiveness and utility of telehealth in managing spine pain. The secondary objective is to evaluate the feasibility of employing various treatments utilizing telehealth.

Study Design: Retrospective case series of patients with spinal pain managed primarily by telehealth during the first 6 months of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the United States.

The association between cervical artery dissection and spinal manipulation among US adults.

Purpose: Cervical artery dissection (CeAD), which includes both vertebral artery dissection (VAD) and carotid artery dissection (CAD), is the most serious safety concern associated with cervical spinal manipulation (CSM). We evaluated the association between CSM and CeAD among US adults.

Methods: Through analysis of health claims data, we employed a case-control study with matched controls, a case-control design in which controls were diagnosed with ischemic stroke, and a case-crossover design in which recent exposures were compared to exposures in the same case that occurred 6-7 months earlier.

Identifying and addressing patient substance use: a survey of chiropractic clinicians.

Background: Chiropractors commonly encounter patients who present for spine pain with parallel substance use. There is currently no widespread training within the chiropractic profession to prepare chiropractors to recognize and address substance use in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to examine chiropractors' confidence, self-perceptions, and interest in education associated with identifying and addressing patient substance use.