Low Back Pain – Perspectives and Treatment Guidelines

1. Low Back Pain – Perspectives and Treatment Guidelines Low back pain can be uncomfortable and also debilitating, and treatment methods vary depending on the causes and severity of the condition. Advanced pain management centers in Brooklyn, NYC treat patients with acute and chronic pain related to musculoskeletal disorders. Medical science has advanced to levels unheard of before, reducing the death rates from communicable diseases and raising life expectancy. But there are still some conditions that don’t have a propercure. These aren’t life threatening conditions, but nevertheless make your life uncomfortable. Low back pain (LBP) is one of them. A recent www.patientcareonline.com report discussed the efficacy of guidelines for LBP. Here are the key points: • Exercising and Other Preventive Measures Education and exercising are the only preventive measures for low back pain. But again, there isn’t much evidence for the efficiency of these measures in terms of statistics or numbers. Preventive measures also include using ergonomic furniture, comfortable mattresses, back belts, etc. These products are heavily marketed as preventive mechanisms, but with little evidence to support them. In fact, these mechanisms can’t really be called preventive since there haven’t been sufficient studies conducted on these. LBP can only be prevented by being in the right physical condition, something that must be introduced right in childhood. That could prevent LBP in future. www.hqbk.com

2. • Treating Acute LBP Patients Patients suffering from acute LBP need to be carefully examined to ensure that their condition is not due to any serious underlying medical condition (such as cancer). Once that is ruled out, they need to be reassured that they don’t suffer from a serious underlying condition and that the pain will likely subside over time. They do not need radiologic tests or opioid analgesics. Patients with acute LBP are advised to stay as active as possible. • Managing Patients with Chronic LBP For patients suffering from LBP for more than 12 weeks, in which case the condition starts becoming chronic, first line treatments comprise cognitive behavioral therapy and exercise therapy. Studies have found that epidural steroid injections are useful only for few patients. ▪In the US, only around 50% of chronic LBP patients are prescribed an exercise program though it is found to be beneficial as a first line treatment for chronic pain. ▪Less than 10% of chronic LBP patients are treated with cognitive behavioral therapy despite the fact that research favors this therapy. ▪Along with cognitive behavioral therapy and exercise therapy, other treatments such as massage therapy, acupuncture, and stress reduction therapy based on mindfulness can be beneficial for chronic LBP patients. • Medication for Acute and Chronic LBP Patients For acute LBP sufferers, NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are the first course of medication. For chronic conditions, NSAIDs must be combined with serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors as the first medication course. For chronic LBP, opioid medications may cause adverse effects. • Lumbar Spine Surgery Lumbar spine surgery is advised when LBP does not respond to conventional treatments. For these patients, smoking could predict poorer outcomes. Past smokers experience better outcomes than those who currently smoke. Lower pre-surgery pain score is a predictor of less favorable outcomes. Advanced multispecialty healthcare centers offer nonsurgical treatment options for acute and chronic low back pain. Orthopedists work with pain management doctors, physical therapists and other healthcare professionals to create personalized treatment programs for each patient. www.hqbk.com