Press Releases

Tallahassee, Florida, April 7, 2010 — Patients with low back pain from spinal stenosis are increasingly being exposed to dangerous surgeries. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has just reported an alarming increase in complex spinal surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis. In just five years, from 2002 to 2007, the number of complex fusion surgeries to treat lumbar (low back) spinal stenosis soared from a rate of 1.3 per 100,000 to 19.9 per 100,000. The study showed that life-threatening complications occurred in 5.6% of patients having complex spinal fusions. Patients who had complex fusions had longer hospitalizations, higher rates of re-hospitalization, and three times the rate of serious complications such as heart attack and stroke. These surgeries continue despite little medical consensus on whether or not these procedures are helpful or should even be used in the management of lumbar spinal stenosis.

"This study supports what we have been seeing in our clinics for years," said Dr. Bob Rowe, President of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists (AAOMPT). "Older adults are seeking care from physical therapists following significant back surgeries and they frequently have problems that weren't there prior to surgery and yet they still have back and leg pain. We hope this finally sounds the alarm and stops the madness that is going on in surgical spine care." Dr. Rowe cautions that patients should be aware that these surgeries are extremely risky and put your life in danger and that you may not be any better off after the procedure."

Fortunately there is good news for healthcare consumers as a previous randomized clinical trial demonstrated that patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis report significant improvement after physical therapy, with the greatest gains occurring in patients who received manual physical therapy, exercise, and a progressive body-weight supported treadmill walking program. Rowe noted that, "it just make sense to try physical therapy first, which is a low cost, low risk, and most importantly effective treatment for chronic low back pain due to lumbar spinal stenosis." Consumers should actively seek care from a qualified physical therapist for their low back complaints.

For more on the benefits physical therapists can provide in the management of back and neck problems, contact your nearest physical therapist or visit the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists website at www.aaompt.org, to find a fellowship trained manual physical therapist in your area AAOMPT represents physical therapists by promoting excellence in orthopaedic manual physical therapy practice, education and research., you can go directly to: http://www.aaompt.org/directory/fellowSearch.cfm.

For more information on managing lumbar spinal stenosis go to: http://tinyurl.com/stenosisRCT

Hear the NPR story at www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125627307

CONTACT: Robert H. Rowe, PT, DPT, DMT, MHS
President, American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists
RobertRowe@Brookshealth.org
www.aaompt.org

For more information visit JAMA

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/303/13/1259

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/extract/303/13/1309