One of the most common chief complaints in primary care, urgent care, and emergency room settings is that of low back pain. It is, in fact, according to a presentation by Roger Chou, MD, per Providers Clinical Support System, the 5th most common reason for office visits in the United States. That equates to about 5% of primary care office visits. The prevalence of this chief complaint is rising, which is resulting in more prescriptions of opioids for treatment of this pain. Opioids are, in fact, the most commonly prescribed medication for low back pain. However, given that we are in the midst of an opioid crisis, the last thing we, as providers, want to do is to contribute to this problem, if at all possible. So, what exactly can we do to treat our patients effectively, while minimizing harm to the patient, and potentially to others?
How to Read an EKG
Taking the Mystery out of the Squiggly Lines Scott Biggs, PA-C Today we are going to dive in to one of the topics that seems to intimidate people more than just about anything else in medicine – how to read an EKG. This skill is often causes fear and confusion. I assure you that it isn’t … Read more
