If you feel that nothing works for back pain, science says you are right

If you have ever had problems with a bad back, you are far from yourself. A study this week found that only about 10% of common treatments for back pain seem to provide noticeable relief and only in that.

Scientists in Australia have managed the research, published Tuesday in BMJ -based drugs. Researchers have analyzed data from hundreds of clinical trials testing dozens of back pain medications and found that only a few really look more effective than placebo. These treatments, which include exercise or non -steroidal anti -inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), probably provide only a small benefit average.

Back pain, especially back pain, is one of the most common and disappointing suffering that has hit humanity today. Almost everyone will experience pain in the lower back at least once in their lives. Approximately 10% of the world population at the moment has a sick back while About 40% From the adults in the United States have had back pain in the last three months.

Most episodes of back pain fade over time but About 10% Americans are thought to have chronic or recurrent back pain. Almost all cases of back pain are non -specific, which means that there is no clearly recognizable disease or a structural cause to explain.

Anyone who has dealt with repeated attacks of back pain is probably familiar with the long list of alleged treatments – and how often they do not seem to work. The researchers were intended to perform the most extensive examination of these non-invasive, non-surgical treatments for back pain, using studies data viewed the gold standard of medical evidence: randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials.

All of the above, they reviewed 301 studies that covered 56 different treatments or combinations of treatment for acute or chronic non -specific lower back pain.

“We have been motivated to conduct this examination as non -surgical and non -invasive approaches are recommended as an initial treatment approach.

Keshin and his team found that only NSAIDs seem effective from placebo for acute back pain, while five seem to work for chronic back pain. These were: exercises, spinal manipulation (which is often associated with chiropractics but can be performed by physical therapists or osteopaths), adhesionantidepressants and class of medicines that reduce our sensitivity to pain called TRPV1 agonists (The main ingredient responsible for the feeling of burning chili pepper, capsaicin, is such an agonist). Other treatments that failed to fulfill the threshold for success included cannabinoids, muscle relaxants, opioids, acupuncture and a dry glass.

Unfortunately, even the best medicines were quite mediocre. The researchers had only moderate security in the data supporting any of these treatments, and their overall efficiency was considered modest in the best case.

“The current evidence shows that one in 10 non -surgical and non -interventional treatments for lower back pain is effective, providing only small analgesic effects outside the placebo,” they wrote.

It is now certainly possible for some people to experience significant relief from one of these therapies or that some will benefit from treatment that does not work well for many others (this reporter knows someone who has experienced a sharp relief from the pain in his back after taking muscle relaxants, for example). Some treatments can still provide some widespread relief, but have not been tested in large enough, well -designed studies that can demonstrate their potential. Many of the treatments included in the examination had only one small study (less than 100 people) to evaluate, for example. And there are other commonly advertised back pain medications that have never been tested in placebo-controlled tests. So researchers call for higher quality studies of existing back pain treatments to complete the missing data gaps.

This said there is no very sure, highly effective cure for back pain right now (this includes surgery) – a reality that the researchers themselves admit.

“Many of the treatment studies are only trying to focus on a potential contributing factor that can partly report why medium treats are not effective.

At the same time, he notes, there is an emerging wave of new treatments that have shown some promise to deal with many backs on the back and other types of chronic pain, such as Pain processing therapy and Retrained retraining of sensorizerS And these and future targeted treatments may be able to provide great and sustainable benefits for people with chronic back pain, he says.

Speaking personally like someone who has regularly coped with lower back pain for years, exercise and stretching routine seem to help me keep it in check most of the time. But like the millions of those suffering there, I hope that these breakthroughs will eventually become a powerful options for this often annoying, sometimes aggravating condition.