Chronic back pain is the most common type of pain, affecting about 16 million American adults – now a new study shows some frustrating findings about potential treatments.
According to a new study published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, it was found that only about every 10 treatments can effectively relieve lower back pain.
As stated in a press release from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia, many of them are “barely better than placebo”.
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“Our review found no reliable evidence of any included treatments,” said Dr Aidan Cashin, deputy director of the Center for Pain Impact at Neuroscience Research (Neura) (Neura) in Australia.
According to a new study, only about every 10 treatments are found to be effective in relieving lower back pain. (iStock)
The researchers reviewed 301 randomized, controlled trials, including data on 56 non-surgical treatments for acute lower back pain, chronic lower back pain, or a combination of both types, comparing them to the group receiving the placebo.
“The treatments included in the study are pharmacology, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (or NSAIDS) as well as muscle relaxants, but are also non-pharmacological (such as exercise and massage).” Cashin said.
Effective and ineffective treatment
The study found that ineffective treatments for acute low back pain include exercise, steroid injections and paracetamol (acetaminophen).
The study found that antibiotics and anesthetics are also “unlikely to be suitable treatment options” for chronic low back pain.
Data shows that about 16 million adults experience lasting or chronic back pain. (iStock)
The study found that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be effective for acute low back pain.
For chronic lower back pain, including exercise, tape, spinal manipulation, antidepressants and transient receptor potential vanillain 1 (TRPV1) agonists may be effective – “However, these effects are small,” Cash notes.
“Things like stress, sleep quality, fatigue, fear, social conditions, nutrition, illness and previous painful history all play a role in our experience of pain.”
The researchers said that because of “limited number of random participants and poor quality of the study,” these findings were “inconclusive” for many other treatments.
“We need further high-quality, placebo-controlled trials to understand the efficacy of treatment and to eliminate uncertainty among patients and clinical teams,” Cashin said.
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Dr. Stephen Clark, a physical therapist and chief clinical officer at Confluent Health, Georgia, noted that the study is investigating “isolated interventions.”
“They ruled out studies that could not be isolated from the effect of target interventions,” Clark, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Numbers.
“Complex Conditions”
According to Clark, pain is a complex disease affected by many different factors.
“As the BMJ Research Institute noted, it is difficult to identify specific causes of low back pain, especially when the pain persists,” he said.
The study found that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be effective for acute low back pain. (iStock)
“Things like stress, sleep quality, fatigue, fear, social conditions, nutrition, illness and previous painful history all play a role in our experience of pain.”
Clark recommends “multi-mode” treatment of pain, including a variety of interventions tailored to each patient’s experience.
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“Physical therapy studies show that manual therapy (joint mobilization/manipulation, soft tissue technology), active interventions like exercise and education about why you are injured and what to do is vote.”
“It is also important to remember that what works for others may not be the exact way to be useful to you,” said a physical therapist. (iStock)
“It is also important to remember that what works for others may not be the exact way to be useful to you.”
Although surgical intervention may be effective for some patients, Clark notes that it can present its own challenges and should be a “last-hand” for non-emergency situations.
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“Although surgery is performed in some cases, it is almost by no means an isolated answer,” he said. “Understanding the pain and complexity of a person's situation is bound to be necessary.”
“In many cases, conservative care can prevent or delay the need for invasive procedures.”
