Back pain affects thousands and thousands of individuals around the world – and plenty of suffering people don’t find a relief.
New study published in Medicine based on BMJ evidence Hundreds of previous research articles were analyzed, or non -invasive treatment options, akin to spine manipulative therapy and taping, helped relieve non -specific back pain, which is by far the most typical type.
They discovered that just one out of 10 treatments was effective, providing only barely higher advantages than placebo.
Among the Americans, back pain is considered one of the most typical health ailments, with 39% of US adults reporting some form. For many who live with this way of pain, the test results could also be discouraging.
But based on the creator of the study Dr. Aidan Cashin, BexphysDeputy director of the Impact pain in the neuroscience Research Australia, they will not be so surprising. The discoveries of his team are fundamentally in accordance with previous research, he said Healthemphasizing the lack of reliable evidence of the effectiveness of many standard treatment methods.
Despite this, recent studies revealed a flash of hope that some treatments may go higher than others to enhance acute or chronic lower back pain.
Here is a closer take a look at which treatments can bring relief – and what you can do if you suffer.
In the Cashin study and his syndrome, they focused on non -specific back pain, which suggests that his origin has not been identified.
To use existing evidence, the team selected 301 research, which included individuals with non -specific back pain in 44 countries. In these studies, they provided data on 56 different non -invasive treatment methods or mixtures of treatment, akin to non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), exercises, acupuncture, laser therapy, spine manipulation therapy, recording and antidepressants.
“After identifying the appropriate research, we grouped them according to the treatment and duration of the lower back pain experienced by the participants,” explained Cashin. “This allowed us to provide a comparison as with a similar one.”
Their conclusion: just one in 10 treatments brought more relief than placebo.
To say, one treatment was considered the best in the case of acute pain of the lower back. NLPZ drugs that include aspirin and ibuprofen seemed higher to alleviate this short -term ailment than other options.
On the other hand, in the case of chronic pain, five treatments – exercise, spinal manipulative therapy, taping, antidepressants and TRPV1 agonists – was the best.
Meanwhile, the research showed that three treatment of acute back pain (exercises, injection of glucocorticoids and acetaminofen) and two in the case of chronic pain of the cross (antibiotics and anesthesia) were largely ineffective and “unlikely to be appropriate to treat pain.
However, the study had several restrictions. By examining the tests that compared “real” treatments with “apparent” or placebo, it was difficult to take care of consistency with what counted as shame. In some cases, research also grouped similar sorts of treatment together (akin to two various kinds of painkillers), potentially muddy results.
According to Cashin, the explanation why so many treatment doesn’t bring results are largely unknown.
“Pain of the lower back is a common and complex problem that can be difficult to treat because of many possible colleagues who can cause and maintain back pain,” he said.
“Nonspecific” in “non -specific back pain” may be a part of the problem. Erica Urquhart, MD,said orthopedic surgeon certified by the management board specializing in sports medicine, pond Health The incontrovertible fact that reaching the basic explanation for back pain is often crucial to conduct effective treatment.
“As an orthopedic surgeon, it would be rare to leave the patient with the final, non-specific diagnosis of lower back pain,” she said. She explained that imaging and other tests can often indicate a specific explanation for people’s pain, akin to a hernia syndrome, lumbar narrowing or face arthritis. From there, a healthcare supplier may recommend the most helpful treatment.
However, one other theory gains adhesion in medical literature. According to David D. Clarke, MDPresident of the Association for the Treatment of Neuroplastic symptoms, Treatment of back pain often fail, because the “real source” of pain is the brain.
Pointed to the study 2021 in Cavity of a psychiatrist This stated that 66% of patients with non -specific chronic back pain who received pain processing therapy, the type of psychological treatment, was almost freed from pain during annual remark.
Further research can shed more light on whether a psychological approach, not physical, is the best in the case of non -specific back pain.
If so many treatments will not be useful, what to do if you are in a painful contraction or cope with a longer weight of chronic back pain?
The study results confirm what many practitioners advise.
Clarke said that NLPZ drugs are the first line of defense, together with rest and physical therapy. In the event of pain that persists for two or three months and more, he advisable the assessment of the structural cause. Urquart agreed. “In orthopedics, we must define a clinical problem to ensure an effective treatment plan,” she said.
Clarke said that in the absence of a physical explanation for psychological or stress -related cause might be one other place to look. “Pain for this reason is as serious and devastating as for structural reasons and is definitely not imagined,” he said.