Chronic back pain is the most common type of pain that affects around 16 million American adults – and now a new study has unveiled some discouraging findings about possible treatments.
Only about one in 10 treatments turned out to be effective when relieving Lower back painAccording to a new study published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.
Many of them are “hardly better than a placebo” in terms of pain lighting, as stated in a press release from the University of New South Wales (Unsw) in Sydney, Australia.
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“Our assessment did not find reliable proof of major effects for one of the included treatments,” said head study author Dr. Aidan Cashin, Deputy Director of the Center for Pain Impact at Neuroscience Research Australia (Neura) and Conjoint Senior teacher at the School of Health Sciences in Unsw Sydney.
Only about one in 10 treatments turned out to be effective when relieving pain in the lower back, according to a new study. (Istock)
The researchers have assessed 301 randomized, controlled studies containing data on 56 non-surgical treatments for adults experienced Acute low back painChronic low back pain or a combination of both types, where they are compared with groups that have received placebo’s.
“Treatments in the study were pharmacological, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs and muscle relaxants, but also non-pharmacological, such as exercise and massage,” Cashin said.
Effective and ineffective treatments
Ineffective treatments for acute low back pain include exercise, steroid injections and paracetamol (acetaminophen), according to the study.
For chronic low back pain, antibiotics and anesthetics were also “unlikely that they were suitable treatment options,” the study showed.
About 16 million adults experience persistent or chronic back pain, according to data. (Istock)
For acute low back pain, non-steroid inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be effective, the study showed.
For chronic low back pain, therapies, including exercise, taping, spinal manipulation, antidepressants and temporary receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) agonists can be effective – “those effects were small,” Cashin noted.
“Things like stress, sleep quality, fatigue, fear, social situations, nutrition, illness and earlier pain history all play a role in how we experience pain.”
The findings were “not decisive” for many other treatments due to the “limited number of randomized participants and poor study quality,” the researchers said.
“We need further high-quality, placebo-controlled studies to understand the effectiveness of treatments and to remove the uncertainty for both patients and clinical teams,” Cashin said.
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Dr. Stephen Clark, a physiotherapist and Chief Clinical Officer at Confluent Health in Georgia, noted that the study of ‘isolated interventions’ looked.
“They excluded studies where it was not possible to isolate the effectiveness of the target intervention,” Clark, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
‘Complex state’
Pain is a complex condition that according to Clark is influenced by many different factors.
“Determining a specific cause of low back pain, especially when the pain is persistent, is difficult, as the BMJ examination indicates,” he said.
For acute low back pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can be effective, the study showed. (Istock)
“Things like stress, sleeping qualityFatigue, fear, social situations, nutrition, illness and earlier history of pain all play a role in how we experience pain. “
Clark recommends “multimodal” treatments for pain, including several interventions that are tailored to the experience of each individual patient.
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“Research into physiotherapy shows that manual therapy (joint mobilization/manipulation, techniques for soft tissue), active interventions as practiceAnd training on why you hurt and what you have to do about it is the ticket, “he said.
“It is also important to remember that what worked for someone else may not be the exact path that works for you,” said a physiotherapist. (Istock)
“It is also important to remember that what worked for someone else may not be the exact path that works for you.”
While Surgical intervention Can be effective for some patients, Clark noted that it can yield its own challenges and be a “last resort” for non-emergency situations.
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“Although an operation is indicated in some cases, it is almost never the answer to seclusion,” he said. “Insight into pain and the complexity around the situation of a person must be in the picture.”
“In many cases, conservative care can prevent or delay the need for invasive procedures.”
