Allina Medical Clinic's provider resource for managing adult spinal pain

Allina Medical Clinic's provider resource for managing adult spinal pain promotes active conservative spine rehabilitation. It is based on the best evidence found in scientific literature to date and on the collective experience of members of the Allina Medical Clinic Adult Spine Pain Task Force.

Goals of the provider resource

• To improve the quality of treatment of adult spinal pain based on scientific evidence and best of practice
• To develop a common approach to managing adult spinal pain as Allina Medical Clinic
• To decrease the use of unnecessary imaging procedures

Information about managing adult spinal pain

The Task Force has developed materials to assist Allina Medical Clinic providers deliver up-to-date evidenced-based medical care. Materials include:

• Philosophical approaches to managing spinal pain
• The initial assessment
• What to consider before ordering diagnostic imaging tests
• Managing non-specific spinal pain
• Managing acute disc herniations
• Worker's compensation patients
  Includes Minnesota's worker's compensation law and tips for successful processing of claims
• Historical red flags/exam red flags
• Lumbar spine X-ray indications and spine imaging guideline

Visit planning materials

These visit planning materials will help improve the ease of documenting a patient visit for adult spinal pain (neck or low back pain). You may want these documents on your spinal pain patients’ charts.

• Adult spine pain guideline
• Historical red flags/exam red flags
• Lumbar spine X-ray indications and spine imaging guideline
• Patient history form - to be filled out by patient before a provider visit
• Adult spine pain exam form – for quick documentation
• Follow-up spine assessment visit
• Adult spine pain standing orders form – shows prompted treatment guideline