Low Back Pain – Rest, Drugs or Surgery are Not Always the Answer!
If you have been browsing the news headlines or scrolling through your facebook feed in the last day like I have been, you may have noticed several articles criticizing current treatment for low back pain. Major news outlets, such as Global news (click here to see the article) and NBC news (click here to see the article), highlighted results of a recently published study in the Lancet Medical Journal. This paper outlines how our current strategy of bed rest, prescription medications, scans or surgery are not helpful in treating low back pain and associated disability for majority of people.
So, what is something that can help?
Movement! Exercise! Being Active!
“The best cure for most people? Exercise. Regular movement is the best way to help with the vast majority of cases of low back pain, according to Doug Gross, a co-author of the study and a professor of physical therapy at the University of Alberta.” …. “Exercise-wise, what’s most important is finding a program that you can stick to, said Gross.” (Global News Article)
“Studies show what works best to treat lower back pain: physical therapy, psychological counseling, stretching, massage and other non-invasive treatments. Rest rarely helps: all patients should be urged to stay active.” (NBC news Article)
It is exciting to see more attention and research being given to the importance of movement and regular exercise. This is something I really believe to be true, as do all of us at ALPHA Health Services. A physiotherapist can help you with prescribing the RIGHT movement and exercise to help you decrease and prevent lower back pain.
By Jennifer Harvey
Registered Physiotherapist