FRIDAY, Nov. 4 (HealthDay News) — Delaying treatment for a herniated disc beyond six months may reduce your chances of recovery, new research finds.
A study of nearly 1,200 U.S. patients found that those treated within six months of first experiencing herniated lumbar disc symptoms had less pain and disability years later than those who waited longer to be treated.
By Maureen Salamon
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, July 6 (HealthDay News) — For the millions of Americans with chronic low back pain, a silver bullet to alleviate the condition has yet to be identified, a new study suggests.
Reviewing 26 studies comparing spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) to other treatments such as medication, exercise or physical therapy, researchers from the Netherlands found that SMT appears to be no better or worse than other options at relieving back pain long-term.
By Maureen Salamon
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, July 5 (HealthDay News) — Massage therapy may be better than medication or exercise for easing low back pain in the short term, a new government-funded study suggests.
Seattle researchers recruited 401 patients, mostly middle-aged, female and white, all of whom had chronic low back pain.
FRIDAY, May 13 (HealthDay News) — Chest compressions during chiropractic spinal manipulation result in little or no risk of chest injury, according to new research.
The study, published in the May 13 online edition of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, measured and examined the force of chest compressions ranging from typical to extremely rigorous and found all to be well under the threshold for injury.
By Ellin Holohan
HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, April 27 (HealthDay News) — Doctors are far more likely to refer patients complaining of lower back pain for an expensive MRI scan if they own or lease such imaging equipment, a new study indicates.
The Stanford University School of Medicine researchers also found that after orthopedists bought MRI equipment, their patients were significantly more likely to have back surgery within six months of seeing the orthopedist for back pain.
WEDNESDAY, March 17 (HealthDay News) — People with chronic low back pain that keeps them away from work can recover an average of four months earlier if they take part in a specific type of rehabilitation program, a new study suggests.
Researchers in the Netherlands and Canada studied 134 patients with chronic low back pain who hadn’t been able to go to work for about six months, on average. The patients, aged 18 to 65, were randomly assigned to receive usual care or to take part in a program called “integrated care.” Read More
FRIDAY, February 26, 2010 (Health.com) — If you have stubborn low back pain, and physical therapy, chiropractic care, or other treatments haven’t helped, there’s something else that may be worth trying: group therapy. Read More
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 14 (HealthDay News) — Having easy access to MRI scans may be a bad thing for people with new-onset lower back pain, according to U.S. researchers.
The analysis of 1998-2005 Medicare data found that patients with new pain in their lower back were more likely to have surgery if they were treated in an area that had a higher-than-average concentration of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machines. Read More
TUESDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) — Practicing yoga can help ease chronic lower back pain, a new study shows.
Researchers divided 90 people, aged 23 to 66, who had mild to moderate functional disability as a result of back pain into two groups.
One group did 90-minute sessions of Iyengar yoga twice a week for six months. The other group continued whatever medical therapy or treatments they’d been doing. Read More
THURSDAY, Sept. 3 (HealthDay News) — A backpack can be a great help to school children, but it needs to fit properly to avoid a lifetime of hurt, health-care professionals say.
“If too heavy or worn incorrectly, backpacks can strain muscles and joints and cause serious back pain,” Paula Kramer, who chairs the occupational therapy department at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, warned in a news release from the university. Read More
