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QUESTION:
This is a repeat of a previous message that got no responses. I hope
this isn't rude, but I've learned that a different subject line will
often create interest in a message that would otherwise be ignored. This
is important to me, and potentiall important to many others.
On Healthcentral.com, Dr. Dean Edell is really talking up Dr. Arthur
White's nonsurgical, nondrug treatment for even very serious low back
pain problems. I looked up the guy's credentials. They are top notch.
Unless he has become senile or something, he is not a quack. And Dr.
Dean Edell is really careful not to recommend doubtful forms of treatment.
So the questions are:
Has anybody tried this form of treatment, or know much about it?
Is it self help, or do you have to go to his clinic, or buy his book or
video (I couldn't find one) or go to a physical therapist that uses his
methods, or what? I left a message on an answering machine connected
with him, but don't know what to expect. (1-800-333-1355)
ANSWER:
I don't know anything about this treatment. I hope that
someone here does, so that your questions can be answered.
I listen to Dr. Dean every day, and especially like his shotgun approach -
get all the info out there and let the people decide for themselves!
Dr. White's credentials are lengthy and impressive
http://www.spinecare.com/staff/white.html ) but don't mention anything
about the "stabilization exercises" mentioned on healthcentral.com
http://www.healthcentral.com/drdean/deanfulltexttopics.cfm?id=21891 )
Even the "recent study" mentioned in the article is not properly
referenced - although the "lumbar dynamic stabilization" gets a little
explanation at: http://www.spinecare.com/treatments/rehab.html. All of the
published articles on the stabilization procedures are at:
http://www.spinecare.com/pubs.html
with such titles as "The back school approach to low back pain", "Spinal
instability." and "Treatment of the industrial back. Part I: The
epidemiology and diagnostics: Perspectives of the physician." .
Now the Back School Treatment IS something I've heard of, and you can read
more about it at: http://www.archives-pmr.org/ . Just enter Back School in
the search box and get both of the relevant articles.
You can also try http://www.aapmr.org/ , but most of their articles are
"member only" protected.
You can also find some articles at http://www.apta.org/pt_journal/ ,
although some are "member only" protected, too.
You can find lots of articles for public use, courtesy of your hard earned
tax dollars, at: http://search.info.nih.gov/
Sounds like the direct course is the best method.
As one of the abstracts says:
"Back School is a rehabilitation treatment for back pain that requires
patients to understand an educational message and motivate themselves to
modify their behavior to prevent relapses. In examining failed cases, the
question arose as to whether the failures could be attributed to affective
dimensions of pain that could be reducing tolerance to the pain itself and
jeopardizing patients' compliance. We studied the role of the affective
component of back pain in Back School failures to see whether this component
can be used to predict the treatment's negative results and whether it can
be conditioned by the treatment itself."
Having reflected and
studied further since I posted this message, I am reaching conclusions
similar to your own. I'm starting to suspect that Dr. White hasn't
really discovered anything new about conservative low back treatment.
Rather, he may be pitching the overall value of postural
training/strenthening/stretching/endurance training/preventive measures,
which have been well known among back care experts for years.
This isn't certain, though.
I tried to order his 1991 book on conservative care of the back, but
it's out of print, will probably be expensive. I'm trying to decide.
Now I've seen this MD before and have to say that I'm skeptical of any MD
that basically says "deny the pain". Hey, how may here have tried THAT! If
he was really interested in helping untold thousands if not millions of back
pain sufferers, then why not get the info out on the net instead of making a
buck (or a few million) on it? Sure your back feels better........your
wallet's lighter! :) (couldn't resist)
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