Dr. Carri Dominick, PT, CSCS
Apr 3, 20182 min
Physical therapy and exercise!
NBC recently published a story on back pain and the most effective treatments.
Physical therapy and exercise have been shown to be the best treatments for low back pain according to a study published in the Lancet Journal, however most people are getting prescription pain drugs when they tell their doctor they have low back pain. This has led to an opioid crisis in America.
According to the news article published by NBC back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide. They also calculated that low back pain costs 3 million years of productive life each year in the United States! Those are astonishing numbers, yet patients are still not getting the correct treatment for their back pain.
Physical therapy and exercise have been shown to be the most effective treatment for low back pain. Also, psychological counseling, stretching and massage. Rest and pain medications have not been shown effective at treating low back pain, yet that is what many people are given as recommendations or prescriptions from their doctors.
Surgery is also not recommended to treat low back pain, as often that is not the cause of the person’s pain. Many people want an MRI, but what shows up on an MRI may not be the direct cause of the pain and may lead to unnecessary and costly surgery. In 2011 in the United States spinal fusion was the most expensive surgery and cost the US healthcare system $12.8 billion dollars.
If you are experiencing low back pain contact me or another physical therapist who can keep you moving and help reduce your pain. This is the best treatment for your back pain. Also, be on the lookout for my next blog post which will give some examples of how physical therapy and exercise can help with back pain. Remember, the MRI can be misleading, exercise is the best treatment!
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