If you’ve ever suffered from a bout of low back pain, then you know that finding relief is often any patient’s main goal. And with low back pain sending 2.5 million Americans to hospital emergency rooms every year, that’s a lot of patients seeking treatment options to relieve the pain.
Medications—or combinations of medications—are often the standard of care for low back pain, particularly in the emergency department setting. But according to recent research, including an Annals of Emergency Medicine study, certain commonly prescribed combinations of drugs proved no more effective in alleviating pain than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs alone or no medications at all. Besides proving relatively ineffective in managing back pain, some commonly prescribed medications come with a long list of side effects from drowsiness to nausea for many patients.
What about surgery? As it turns out, researchers have found that long-term outcomes regardless of whether patients were the same whether the patient underwent surgery or conservative management at 3-5 years!
Luckily, patients are beginning to see the benefits of pursuing safe alternatives to medications and surgery. A physical therapy regimen for low back pain is designed to reduce soft tissue pain, improve function and build muscle strength.
As WNY's only Certified McKenzie Clinic, we are well versed in the ability to then provide targeted treatments to help patients stay away from invasive procedures and return to their pain free lifestyles!
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for back pain so patients should work with rehab professionals, doctors and other healthcare practitioners to find the best course of treatment for them.
To find a quality conservative management professional click here for the American Physical Therapy Associations directory or here for the McKenzie Institute's USA directory! As always feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns!