New research: Spinal manipulation, activity better for low back pain

As many as 540 million people suffer from low back pain and the prescription drug and surgical treatments currently in use could be all wrong, according to new research from The Lancet, a weekly medical journal.

The journal’s three-part series recommends that low back pain be managed with education and treatments like spinal manipulation found in chiropractic care, massage and acupuncture, and superficial heat therapy. The research also urged patients suffering from lower back pain to continue working and staying active.

Meanwhile, the journal, calling lower back pain a global public health issue, also stated that unsuitable treatments and tests are common for low back pain sufferers. Patients treated in emergency rooms are often told to take time off from activity and work to rest, referred for scans and surgery or are prescribed opioids that can be addictive.

Good Morning America talked about the new research and what it means for low back pain sufferers:

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