Back Pain Research

Back pain research studies are currently examining different drugs to effectively treat back pain, comparing different ways to manage back pain, and comparing surgical treatments to non-surgical treatments. Three common causes of back pain include herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis. Therefore, back pain research scientists are conducting extensive testing and surveys to identify the best treatments for these patients.

 

Back Pain Research: An Overview

There are a number of back pain research studies currently being conducted to better understand and treat back pain. Researchers are:
 
  • Examining the use of different drugs to effectively treat back pain, in particular, chronic pain that has lasted at least 6 months.
 
  • Comparing different healthcare approaches to the management of acute low back pain (standard care versus chiropractic, acupuncture, or massage therapy). These studies are measuring symptom relief, restoration of function, and patient satisfaction.
 
  • Comparing standard surgical treatments to the most commonly used standard non-surgical treatments to measure changes in health-related quality of life among patients suffering from spinal stenosis.

(Click Spinal Stenosis for more information about this condition.)

Back Pain Research Aimed at Identifying the Best Treatments

Researchers at several centers are studying more than 3,000 patients who have one of three common causes of back pain -- herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis -- and who respond well to specific treatments. Extensive testing and surveys will allow doctors to identify the best treatments for these patients.
 
(Back Pain Research Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD