How to cure lower back pain - doctors made disappointing conclusions
Kyiv • UNN
A new study has shown that most treatments for lower back pain do not have convincing evidence of effectiveness. But NSAIDs and some other exercises may help slightly.
Today, humanity knows enough ways to cure back pain - various medications and drugs, massage, muscle relaxants, and so on. But according to a new study that summarized the results of hundreds of random studies, there is no convincing evidence that these treatments actually reduce back pain, UNN writes, citing The New York Times.
In the United States, lower back pain affects approximately one in four adults and is a major factor in disability worldwide. In most diagnosed cases, the pain is considered "non-specific," meaning it has no clear cause.
This also partially makes it difficult to treat. In a study published Tuesday in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, researchers reviewed 301 studies comparing 56 non-invasive treatments for lower back pain, such as medications and exercise, to a placebo. They used a statistical method to combine the results of these studies and draw conclusions.
Details
Researchers found that only one treatment — the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen and aspirin — was effective in reducing short-term or acute lower back pain.
Five other treatments had sufficient evidence to be considered effective in reducing chronic lower back pain.
In this case, it is about physical exercises, spinal manipulations, taping of the lower back, antidepressants, applying a cream that creates a feeling of warmth. Despite this, the benefit from their use was small.
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An important conclusion from this article is that lower back pain is extremely difficult to treat
He added that there are several treatments that they found effective, but those that were effective were only slightly clinically effective. It is worth noting that although the magnitude of the effect was small, doctors assured that they believe that physical exercises are likely to help with back pain in the long term.
Basic exercises help strengthen the muscles that, in turn, support the spine. Also, physical exercises have other benefits besides reducing the intensity of pain. For example, they improve strength, mobility and mood, as well as reduce the extent to which pain interferes with performing tasks.
Supplement
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