26A. An Integrative, Evidence-based Algorithm for Spine-related Pain Disorders

Focus Areas: Integrative Approaches to Care, Alleviating Pain Current management practices for low back pain have led to rising costs without evidence of improvement in the quality of care. Low back pain remains a diagnostic and management challenge for practitioners of many types and is now thought to be a leading global cause of disability. Beyond many published clinical practice guidelines, there are emerging evidence-based care-pathways including stratification according to the patient's prognosis, classification-based management, diagnosis-based clinical decision guides, and biopsychosocial models of care. A proposed solution for successfully addressing low back pain is to employ a novel, integrative, biopsychosocial, stratified, and diagnosis-based care pathway, currently in use at a complementary, integrative healthcare university's clinic. The rationale for the development and implementation is described, including a comparison to related models currently in place at other locations. Benefits of this approach include improved patient outcomes, a more effective and efficient medical delivery system, and creation of a sustainable business model for practitioners. Two case studies are incorporated in the session to illustrate the principles of the integrative model.