BACK ACTIVE NHS

NHS guidelines for managing back pain suggest a scan is not helpful initially for most patients, even if it radiates to the legs with numbness. This is because the treatments most likely to provide a quick recovery are time and a combination of advice, exercises and therapy. Only in a very small number of cases are other treatments needed.

Within the Hampshire Back Service pathway all referrals from GPs are reviewed by a specialist. They pass the referral to us if they feel the quickest way to help recovery is through a course of our care.

Although the vast majority of patients do well with the chiropractic, physiotherapy and osteopathy we provide unfortunately this does not work for everyone. If someone do not do well they will be passed by our clinician directly back to the specialists for a further review. Where scans and any other tests are then felt helpful in deciding what further treatment may be appropriate they will be arranged.

One of the advantages of the Hampshire Back Service is the integration of different aspects of care. This means patients are rapidly seen by an appropriate clinician without the need for them to go back to their GP for a further referral with the extra wait this causes.