All Articles on Back Pain

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  Mindfulness meditation eases chronic low back pain

  JAMA publishes research by Kaiser Permanente researchers, comparing mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy, and usual care for back pain.
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  A call for a more patient-centered approach to treating back pain

  Dr. Dan Cherkin reflects on three decades of research on relieving back pain, concluding a supportive, healing context is key.
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  It’s complicated: Opioids for low back pain

  A state-of-the-art review in The BMJ by Dr. Michael Von Korff and two colleagues describes an array of complications from long-term opioid use for chronic low back pain.
• Back pain: Research on new Group Health guidelines will shine light on changing systems of care

  Few health conditions are as common and confounding as back pain, the second leading cause of all doctor visits.
• Yoga eases back pain in largest U.S. yoga study to date

  Yoga classes were linked to better back-related function and diminished symptoms from chronic low back pain in the largest U.S. randomized controlled trial of yoga to date.
• Massage eases low back pain in randomized controlled trial

  Massage therapy helps ease chronic low back pain and improve function, according to a randomized controlled trial in the July 5 Annals of Internal Medicine. The first study to compare structural and relaxation (Swedish) massage, the trial found that both types of massage worked well, with few side effects.
• Acupuncture eases chronic low back pain in SPINE trial

  Acupuncture can help people with chronic low back pain feel less bothered by their symptoms and function better in their daily activities, according to the largest U.S. randomized trial of its kind, published in the May 11, 2009 Archives of Internal Medicine. But the SPINE (Stimulating Points to Investigate Needling Efficacy) trial raises questions about how the ancient practice actually works.