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posted by Fnord666 on Sunday April 16 2017, @05:12AM   Printer-friendly
from the oh-my-aching-back dept.

A meta-analysis of studies has found that spinal manipulation can have a modest effect on pain and mobility:

One of the most common reasons people go to the doctor is lower back pain, and one of the most common reasons doctors prescribe powerful, addictive narcotics is lower back pain. Now, new research published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association offers the latest evidence that spinal manipulation can offer a modestly effective alternative.

Researchers analyzed 26 studies involving more than 1,700 patients with lower back pain. The analysis found spinal manipulation can reduce lower back pain as measured by patients on a pain scale, like this one from zero to 10. Spinal manipulation, which is typically done by chiropractors and physical therapists, involves applying pressure and moving joints in the spine.

Patients undergoing spinal manipulation experienced a decline of 1 point in their pain rating, says Dr. Paul Shekelle, an internist with the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Rand Corp. who headed the study. "So if it had been a 7 it would be a 6, or if it had been a 5 it would be a 4," Shekelle says. That's about the same amount of pain relief as from NSAIDs, over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen.

The study also found spinal manipulation modestly improved function. On average, patients reported greater ease and comfort engaging in two day-to-day activities, such as finding they could walk more quickly, were having less difficulty turning over in bed or were sleeping more soundly.

Have you used "alternative" methods for back pain relief? Can I relieve two pain points by combining spinal manipulation with an NSAID? Is this just a way for the VA to reduce costs, or is it aimed at the war on opiates?


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  • (Score: 1) by danuk on Sunday April 16 2017, @12:25PM (3 children)

    by danuk (5137) on Sunday April 16 2017, @12:25PM (#494788)

    I listened to a podcast that suggested some back pain could be stress related. Previously a stomach ulser would appear creating a diversion from stress so the host focused on that pain instead. As it became widely known that the ulser was stress related the body could no longer use it as a decoy. I don't know if this is BS but it is very interesting. A quick web search finds this site which might explain it better than I. http://www.cure-back-pain.org/psychosomatic-back-pain.html [cure-back-pain.org]

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 17 2017, @04:45AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 17 2017, @04:45AM (#495109)

    Aren't stomach ulcers from bacterial infections though...

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 19 2017, @01:44AM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 19 2017, @01:44AM (#496100)

      And the chemical changes your body undergoes when in stressed mode make it easier for that bacteria to thrive above levels were your body can manage them. Everything is related, the world is far more complex than more people care to admit. If it's not a yes/no answer it's ignored.

      • (Score: 1) by danuk on Tuesday April 25 2017, @08:48PM

        by danuk (5137) on Tuesday April 25 2017, @08:48PM (#499569)

        How about grey hair. Don't people who are under extreme stress turn grey very fast. The placebo effect is very strong, the mind can affect the body in incredible ways.