Participants in a large clinical trial were randomly assigned to one of four groups for up to eight weeks of treatment and then followed for a full year:

• Supported self-management (SSM): a personalized program combining pain education, physical exercises, relaxation techniques, strategies for reframing negative thought patterns and guidance for staying active in daily life — all supervised one-on-one by a physical therapist or chiropractor and designed for home use.

A randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that a personalized self-management program — delivered by physical therapists and chiropractors — was more effective at preventing the conversion to high impact chronic low back pain than standard medical care or hands-on spinal manipulation alone.

Almost everyone will deal with back pain at some point in their lives. Most recover quickly
— but for about 20% of people, acute pain becomes a chronic condition that interferes with daily life and keeps them out of the workforce.

Australian research has shown for the first time that a program of swimming can be clinically effective in reducing disability from chronic low back pain. Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the clinical trial found an eight-week individualized program of swimming and education, guided by a physiotherapist, improved function and pain significantly more than education alone in people with back pain.

What does this legislation mean for Medicare patients?

The Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act will allow Medicare beneficiaries access to the chiropractic profession’s broad-based, non-drug approach to pain management, which includes manual manipulation of the spine and extremities, evaluation and management services, diagnostic imaging and utilization of other non-drug approaches that have become an important strategy in national efforts to stem the epidemic of prescription opioid overuse and abuse.

Different stretches have different functions. Some focus on a particular muscle or muscle group or limb and improve movement. Others, sometimes referred to as ‘active’ stretches, are intended to increase strength. These three exercises are designed to do both with your back:

During pregnancy, a woman’s body goes through many changes. Obviously, it’s a wonderful phase of life. But it’s also a challenging time.

It’s good, of course, to keep all your muscles strong and limber. But the strength of the body’s core — the muscles in your belly and mid- and lower back, is one of the keys to long term health and stability as you grow older.

Tech neck often starts subtly and is easy to dismiss. The first signs aren’t always sharp pain. It’s usually stiffness, tension, or fatigue in the neck and shoulders that people ignore until it becomes more persistent. Common early symptoms include ongoing stiffness or tightness in the neck and upper shoulders; headaches caused by muscle tension; discomfort that spreads to the upper back or arms; and eye strain and difficulty focusing after long screen use.

People with chronic back pain process everyday sounds differently, and more intensely, than people without pain, according to new research. The study is one of the first to tie this sound hypersensitivity to specific, measurable changes in the brain, indicating that chronic back pain affects far more than the back. The researchers compared self-reported and neural responses in 142 adults with chronic back pain relative to 51 pain-free controls. All participants, including controls, underwent brain imaging.