Low back pain is one of the most common symptoms that cause people to visit their doctor. In fact, back pain is the second-leading cause of visits to the doctor in the United States. About 80 percent of all patients report having low back pain at some point during their lives.
Fortunately, there are many effective treatments including medications, lifestyle behavior changes, and exercise. Occupational and physical therapies can also help reduce the suffering that often comes with low back pain. In addition to these treatments, complementary therapies – such as chiropractic, massage, and acupuncture – are sought by many patients today to reduce low back pain.
In many cases, individuals seek these treatments because they are dissatisfied with conventional treatments. But more often, according to research, people seek these treatments because they believe they will be helped by them. So, what does the literature say about these treatments and their effectiveness in treating low back pain?
Chiropractic is one of the more popular complementary therapies for the treating low back pain. According to research, spinal manipulation is similar to conventional treatments in its ability to relieve both sudden and long-term back pain. .
Massage appears to be effective in the treatment of chronic back pain. It might be especially helpful in improving a person's ability to function and carry out daily activities.
Acupuncture has not been clearly proven effective as a treatment for low back pain. Many people, however, get relief with acupuncture treatments. There are also many case reports of people whose back pain was relieved by acupuncture. A recent study showed that acupuncture effectively relieved chronic lower back pain in older adults.
There is evidence that a regular practice of simple relaxation techniques, such as deep abdominal breathing, guided imagery, and meditation can help people cope with their symptoms.
Sometimes low back pain relief requires the use of several therapies at one time. One person might benefit most from medications and massage, while another might benefit from medications and physical therapy. Research has yet to determine the best combinations of conventional and complementary therapies for patients. |
