Comparing chronic low back pain management strategies

Researchers have examined the effectiveness of nonpharmacologic treatment options in patients with chronic low back pain.

In a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the researchers randomly assigned nearly 750 adult patients with chronic low back pain to undergo two stages of treatment. First-stage treatment involved either physical therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy for a period of eight weeks, followed by either switching first-stage treatments or introducing mindfulness as second-stage treatment among those who didn’t respond to first-stage treatment.

The researchers found that the patients in the physical therapy group experienced greater improvements in functionality but not pain intensity compared with those in the cognitive behavioral therapy group. After advancing to second-stage treatment, neither the patients in the switching group nor those in the mindfulness group experienced statistically significant differences in functionality or pain intensity.

As a result of the study, the researchers suggested that physical therapy may help improve outcomes in patients with chronic low back pain.

Read more: Annals of Internal Medicine

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