Orthopedics
October 1995 Volume 18, Number 10
Brian W. Nelson, MD, Elizabeth O’Reilly, RN, Mark Miller, PT, Mike Hogan, PT, Charles E. Kelly, MD, Joseph A Wegner, MD
Physicians Neck and Back Clinics, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Study Outcomes & Clinical Relevance:
- 76 percent had good or excellent results
- Patients with either radicular or referred leg pain (over half of all patients) responded just as well as patients with isolated low back pain
- Prior to evaluation at PNBC, patients had seen on average three physicians and had failed six different treatment options, including chiropractic, epidural injections, facet injections, ultrasound, traction, medication, and electrical stimulation
- Results were independent of diagnosis. Spinal fitness was crucial, regardless of underlying condition
- Patients completing the PNBC program had dramatically less (67 percent) medical reutilization in the year after discharge than comparable control group patients treated elsewhere with passive modalities