Lumbar Spine & Low Back Pain

Hip and Lumbar Spine Physical Examination Findings in People Presenting With Low Back Pain, With or Without Lower Extremity Pain

Authors: Heidi Prather, DO, Abby Cheng, MD, Karen Steger-May, MA, Vaibhav Maheshwari, DO, Linda Van Dillen, PT, PhD Study Design Prospective cohort study, cross-sectional design. Background The hip-spine syndrome is described in patients with known arthritis of the hip. This study describes the hip examination findings of people presenting with low back pain (LBP). Objectives […]

Placebo Plus Usual Treatment Achieves Clinically Significant Back Pain Relief

FEBRUARY 9, 2017 A placebo of a pill added to treatment as usual for chronic low back pain resulted in clinically significant improvements in patients who were informed about the placebo beforehand, according to a new study from Portugal. “We knew that placebos are effective for pain relief, but also that the deception assumed to […]

Lumbar Support for Low Back Pain: Does It Work?

PAIN MEDICINE NEWS FEBRUARY 3, 2017 Lumbar support cannot be recommended for the management of nonspecific low back pain in the general population, according to a study conducted by a French research team affiliated with CHU Gabriel-Montpied Hôpital, in Clermont-Ferrand, France (Ann Phys Rehabil Med 2016;59S:e29). Charlotte Lanhers and her colleagues conducted a review of […]

The drugs don’t work, say back pain researchers

Date: February 2, 2017 Source: George Institute for Global Health Summary: Commonly used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, used to treat back pain provide little benefit, but cause side effects, according to new research. The findings of the systematic review reveal only one in six patients treated with the pills, also known […]

Clinical practice guidelines for the noninvasive management of low back pain [Full Text]

A systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration J.J. Wong Eur J Pain 21 (2017) 201–216 Abstract We conducted a systematic review of guidelines on the management of low back pain (LBP) to assess their methodological quality and guide care. We synthesized guidelines on the management of LBP published from […]

The weather’s not to blame for your aches and pains

JANUARY 24, 2017 George Institute for Global Health News New research from The George Institute for Global Health has revealed the weather plays no part in the symptoms associated with either back pain or osteoarthritis. It’s long been thought episodes of both back pain and arthritis can be triggered by changes in the weather, including […]

Predicting recovery in patients with acute low back pain: A Clinical Prediction Model

T. da Silva P. Macaskill K. Mills C. Maher C. Williams C. Lin M.J. Hancock First published: 20 January 2017 https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.976 Abstract Background There is substantial variability in the prognosis of acute low back pain (LBP). The ability to identify the probability of individual patients recovering by key time points would be valuable in making […]

Neurochemical changes in patients with chronic low back pain detected by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy: A systematic review (Full Text)

Neuroimage Clin. 2017; 13: 33–38. Published online 2016 Nov 24. doi:  10.1016/j.nicl.2016.11.006 PMCID: PMC5126149 Xianjing Zhao,a,b Maosheng Xu,a,b,⁎ Kristen Jorgenson,c and Jian Kongc Abstract Background Low back pain is a highly prevalent health problem around the world, affecting 50% to 85% of people at some point in life. The purpose of this systematic review is […]

Do 90% of Patients with an Acute Episode of Low Back Pain Resolve within 2 Months, with or without Treatment?

  FACT OR FICTION? This month we are going to discuss the commonly held clinical thought and apparently well documented fact that 90% of all acute low back pain episodes ultimately self-resolve within a 60 day period. It would appear that this commonly held “fact” in spite of widespread “documentation” and acceptance may not be […]

Recent clinical trial discovers vitamin D supplementation reduces chronic low back pain (Full Text)

Posted on: January 18, 2017 by Amber Tovey A recent clinical trial published in the journal Pain Physician found that treating low vitamin D levels improved pain intensity and mobility among patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide. In fact, one-half of all working Americans […]

Obesity does not increase the risk of chronic low back pain when genetics are considered. A prospective study of Spanish adult twins

The Spine Journal Volume 17, Issue 2, February 2017, Pages 282–290 Amabile Borges Dario, MSc Abstract Background Context Obesity is commonly investigated as a potential risk factor for low back pain (LBP); however, current evidence remains unclear. Limitations in previous studies may explain the inconsistent results in the field, such as the use of a […]

Interventions to increase adherence to therapeutic exercise in older adults with low back pain and/or hip/knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Br J Sports Med. 2017 Jan 13. pii: bjsports-2016-096458. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2016-096458. [Epub ahead of print] Nicolson PJ1, Bennell KL1, Dobson FL1, Van Ginckel A1, Holden MA2, Hinman RS1. Abstract OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether interventions aimed at increasing adherence to therapeutic exercise increase adherence greater than a contextually equivalent control among older adults with chronic low […]

Yoga May Ease Pain, Up Function in Chronic Low Back Pain

Pauline Anderson January 13, 2017 Yoga may lessen pain and improve function in patients with chronic, nonspecific low back pain, a new Cochrane review suggests. However, it’s unclear whether yoga is more effective than other types of exercise, primarily because there’s so little evidence directly comparing these interventions, lead author L. Susan Wieland, assistant professor, […]

US Spending on Personal Health Care and Public Health, 1996-2013

December 27, 2016 Joseph L. Dieleman, PhD1; Ranju Baral, PhD2; Maxwell Birger, BS1; et al Anthony L. Bui, MPH3; Anne Bulchis, MPH2; Abigail Chapin, BA1; Hannah Hamavid, BA1; Cody Horst, BS1; Elizabeth K. Johnson, BA1; Jonathan Joseph, BS1; Rouselle Lavado, PhD4; Liya Lomsadze, BS5; Alex Reynolds, BA1; Ellen Squires, BA1; Madeline Campbell, BS1; Brendan DeCenso, […]

Platelet-Rich Plasma Superior to Corticosteroid Injection for Lumbar Facet Joint Syndrome

Autologous platelet-rich plasma efficacious for a longer duration than LA/corticosteroid WEDNESDAY, Dec. 28, 2016 (HealthDay News) — For intra-articular injection autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and local anesthetic (LA)/corticosteroid are effective, easy, and safe in the treatment of lumbar facet joint syndrome, according to a study published online Dec. 18 in Pain Practice. Jiuping Wu, from […]

Guideline summary review: an evidence-based clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of adult isthmic spondylolisthesis

The Spine Journal Volume 16, Issue 12, December 2016, Pages 1478–1485 D. Scott Kreiner, MD Abstract Background Context The North American Spine Society’s (NASS) Evidence-Based Clinical Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Adult Isthmic Spondylolisthesis features evidence-based recommendations for diagnosing and treating adult patients with isthmic spondylolisthesis. The guideline is intended to reflect contemporary […]

The effect of obesity on treatment outcomes for low back pain

Stanley C. Ewald Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2016 24:48 DOI: 10.1186/s12998-016-0129-4 ©  The Author(s). 2016 Received: 25 January 2016 Accepted: 20 October 2016 Published: 12 December 2016 Abstract Background The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of obesity, as measured by body mass index (BMI), on treatment outcomes for low back pain (LBP). Methods Data from the University of California, Los Angeles, and […]

Back Pain and Back Strength

BY MARK RIPPETOE NOVEMBER 30, 2016 There are times when The Conventional Wisdom and The Reality of the Situation are at odds. Our recent presidential election provides a poignant example, as does the idea that running makes you skinny, that little kids always tell the truth, and that we have to pass another law so […]

Modifiable risk factors for chronic back pain: insights using the co-twin control design

The Spine Journal Volume 17, Issue 1, January 2017, Pages 4–14 Pradeep Suri, MD, MS Abstract Background Inconsistent associations between modifiable risk factors and chronic back pain (CBP) may be due to the inability of traditional epidemiologic study designs to properly account for an array of potential genetic and environmental confounding factors. The co-twin control […]

Low Back Pain – Evidence Based Patient Education [Video]

Low Back Pain Low back pain affects up to 90% of the population, there are some yellow and red flags to keep in mind