Back Surgery Is Not for Everyone.

In a recent paper published in the Medical Journal of Australia, the authors noted that while spinal surgeries have increased over time, the current data does not support surgical intervention for low back pain outside of cases of lumbar radiculopathy that doesn’t respond to non-surgical care and when low back pain is associated with cancer,…

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Manual Therapy Helps COPD Patients Breathe Better.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease that makes breathing difficult, and it is a leading cause of death in the United States. A study that included 33 COPD patients found that including muscle energy technique (MET) sessions in a COPD rehabilitation program led to better outcomes with respect to subjective breathing.…

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Many People Are Misguided on Low Back Pain

A recent survey found that 68% of adults falsely believe that rest is the best treatment for low back pain and incorrectly think remaining physically active while dealing with low back pain is unnecessary. Doctors of chiropractic routinely advise patients to stay active within pain tolerance and avoid prolonged bed rest when managing an episode…

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Fitness May Lower Low Back Risks in a Physically Demanding Job.

Questionnaires completed by 204 warehouse workers revealed that one in four had low back pain. However, the researchers found greater handgrip strength—a measure used to assess physical fitness—is associated with a lower risk for pain in the low back. Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Research, February 2023

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Spinal Manipulation for Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain

Among a group of 83 patients with chronic non-specific low back pain, those who received six treatments of spinal manipulative therapy—the primary form of treatment provided by doctors of chiropractic—experienced improvements in low back-related pain, disability, and range of motion. Medicine (Baltimore), February 2023

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Is Working Nights Linked to Back Pain?

An analysis of data from 40 studies found that working nights is associated with an elevated risk for low back pain, especially among healthcare workers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, January 2023

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Neural Mobilization for Managing Low Back and Radicular Pain?

For patients with low back and radicular pain, a systematic review that included eight studies found that neural mobilization—a form of treatment provided by doctors of chiropractic—may be an effective intervention for improving pain, function, and disability. Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy, February 2023

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Back Pain Increases Frailty Risk in Older Women

Frailty is a condition characterized by weakness, slowness, physical inactivity, self-reported exhaustion, and unintentional weight loss that is associated with an increased risk for poor health outcomes. In a recent study, researchers observed that older women with low back pain were 2.83 times more likely to develop frailty over the following year, especially those with…

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The Sacroiliac Joints Are an Overlooked Pain Generator.

In a recent literature review, researchers found disorders of the sacroiliac joints (which connect the sacrum and pelvis) may be a primary or contributing cause of 27% of back pain cases. Doctors of chiropractic are trained to assess the function of the sacroiliac joints when patients present with low back or pelvic pain and to…

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