What You NEED to Know About LOW BACK PAIN

It is easy to get lost in the endless articles and posts about low back pain, when what we really need to know is the most current information to conquer it for good! I came across a fantastic article published early this summer that looked at 80 different research studies and compiled all the best evidence to help understand what we truly know about treatment. Here is a quick summary to help you…

Common treatment for low back pain has consisted of painkillers (opioids, anti-inflammatories), bed rest, and surgical intervention. The reality behind these treatments is that they provide little help or are downright harmful for the majority of the population (even though the healthcare system pushes patients towards this). We classify these treatment approaches as “mainstream medicine”. Research shows that over 85% of people suffering from low back pain, are classified as “nonspecific low back pain” – meaning there is no specific cause (ie: disc herniation, tumour, pinched nerve). In most of these cases, the low back pain will resolve on its own in a short amount of time. In a lot of these cases, a medical doctor will prescribe painkillers and bed rest, when we know from research that this has minimal effects at best, or worst is harmful- inducing even more pain, or can lead to addiction. The same can be said for surgical intervention, where very few patients see benefits. The article pushes the fact that opioids, fusion surgery, injections, cannot be endorsed anymore due to the weight of evidence proving its ineffectiveness and harmfulness.

On the other hand, conservative approaches such as chiropractic treatment, massage therapy, physiotherapy, in conjunction with healthy daily exercise habits, active rehab techniques, yoga, psychotherapy – show the best outcomes for the majority of the population dealing with low  back pain.  These approaches continue to show beneficial outcomes including: pain relief, improved ability to perform daily activities, better exercise tolerance and the side effects include:

• You feel better
• You become stronger
• You are healthier
• More money saved
• You learn long term solutions

So why is it that when faced with low back pain, we are put on “bed rest”? What’s interesting to note, is that the most effective strategy, proven through research, for acute, new onset low back pain (not due to trauma) is getting out and moving, and better yet utilizing simple, active rehab techniques. This is for reasons such as:  improved blood flow to back muscles, back stability through the core and surrounding muscles, and improving flexibility. Specific strategies have been compiled and studied to determine the best outcomes for low back stabilization and long term outcomes – have you tried them yet?

Based on this information, I urge you to reconsider or re-evaluate your approach to back pain, whether it is of recent onset or has been a chronic bother, become informed! It is very important to find the healthcare professional that can evaluate your low back pain and identify the major contributors, rule out anything serious, and set you up on the right treatment plan, utilizing the best strategies available. The research is here, now it is up to YOU to decide what to do with this information!

If you have any questions about your low back pain or any other complaint, contact me!

Click here to read the original article.