Mast cells may become a therapeutic target for low back pain, according to new research. Researchers found mast cells can infiltrate intervertebral disc cells and play a role in their degeneration. Specifically, mast cells and the cytokine, IL-6, were both more likely to be found in painful intervertebral discs surgically removed from patients than in control discs…
(Reuters Health)—About three in five older men with tiny spinal fractures related to osteoporosis reported new or worsening back pain in a new study. Only about one-quarter of new vertebral fractures are diagnosed by a doctor, the study team writes in their September 7 online report in Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, though the…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Advice is considered an effective treatment for acute low back pain (LBP), but neither clinical trials nor guidelines include adequate detail on what this advice should be, or how doctors should deliver it, according to a new review. And half of the advice topics included in guidelines were discordant with evidence from…
(Reuters Health)—Regularly engaging in physical activity, from walking to intense exercise, may help to reduce the risk of chronic low back pain by, as much as 16%, according to a new review of previous studies. In the past, it hasn’t been clear whether physical activity staves off low back pain, or people without back pain…
(Reuters Health)—Mindfulness-based stress reduction programs (MSBR) appear to improve low back pain only slightly, and only temporarily, a review of previous research suggests. These programs combine meditation while sitting and walking, yoga, focusing attention on different parts of the body and incorporation of mindfulness/awareness into everyday life. Earlier studies found MBSR to be helpful for…
NKTR-181, a mu-opioid agonist analgesic, has proved safe and effective for treating chronic low back pain vs. placebo in a recent clinical trial…
(Reuters Health)—Spinal manipulation may work as well for easing lower back pain as anti-inflammatory medications, a research review concludes. Based on data from 15 previously conducted trials involving a total of 1,711 adults, the study team found that spinal manipulation achieved meaningful reductions in pain and improvements in function after six weeks of treatment. The…
If left untreated, low back pain can cause long-term disability. To aid its diagnosis and management, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has released revised guidance. Recommendations include the use of risk stratification tools for diagnosis, as well as physical activity or a comprehensive program that addresses biomechanical, aerobic and/or psychological needs…
A recent study in nurses and healthcare professionals examined the efficacy of a novel ergonomic aid for managing low back pain. After a three-month trial, researchers found that the aid, Spinal Underwear, reduced low back pain, suggesting that musculoskeletal symptoms may be influenced by posture and somatization…
(Reuters Health)—People should try non-drug treatment options like massage or stretching for most cases of chronic low back pain before choosing treatment with over-the-counter or prescription drugs, according to new guidelines from the American College of Physicians (ACP). If the pain began recently, the guidelines recommend superficial heat, massage, acupuncture or spinal manipulation. If patients…