Chronic Back Pain in America:
Survey Results
Who Prescribes Medication to Treat Chronic Back Pain?
Prescriber habits and patients' perceptions
"Who prescribes medication to treat chronic back pain?" was one of the questions in the Chronic Back Pain in America 2013 survey. In the tables below are survey participants' responses to who prescribes medications for neck, mid-back, and low back pain. Furthermore, several related questions about the prescribers' habits and patients' perceptions are revealed.
| Type of Prescriber | Cervical (n=360) |
Thoracic (n=248) |
Lumbar/ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Care Physician | 39% | 42% | 39% |
| Pain Medicine Specialist | 32% | 38% | 30% |
| Rheumatologist | 6% | 4% | 4% |
| Orthopaedic Surgeon | 5% | 3% | 5% |
| Neurosurgeon | 4% | 3% | 3% |
Please note: the number of patients responding to the following questions varies.
| Does your prescriber provide free samples? | Cervical (n=326) |
Thoracic (n=227) |
Lumbar/ Sacral (n=610) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 19% | 15% | 15% |
| No | 81% | 85% | 85% |
| Does your physician prescribe narcotics? | Cervical (n=326) |
Thoracic (n=227) |
Lumbar/ Sacral (n=610) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 67% | 71% | 65% |
| No | 33% | 29% | 35% |
| Did you sign a pain management treatment agreement? | Cervical (n=326) |
Thoracic (n=227) |
Lumbar/ Sacral (n=393) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 43% | 50% | 59% |
| No | 57% | 50% | 41% |
| Do you feel your physician trusts you with your narcotics? | Cervical (n=326) |
Thoracic (n=227) |
Lumbar/ Sacral (n=393) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 94% | 94% | 95% |
| No | 6% | 6% | 5% |
| Does your physician require uring drug testing? | Cervical (n=360) |
Thoracic (n=248) |
Lumbar/ Sacral (n=719) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 33% | 39% | 33% |
| No | 52% | 49% | 52% |
| Not sure | 15% | 12% | 15% |
Updated on: 03/05/14
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