Health

Just 1 in 10 back pain treatments work, study says — what to do instead

Published

11 months ago

March 20, 2025

Just 1 in 10 back pain treatments work, study says — what to do instead

Chronic back pain is the most common type of pain, affecting around 16 million American adults — and now a new study has revealed some discouraging findings about potential treatments.

Only around one in every 10 treatments was found to be effective in relieving lower back pain, according to a new study published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.

Many of them are “barely better than a placebo” in terms of pain relief, as stated in a press release from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia.

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“Our review did not find reliable evidence of large effects for any of the included treatments,” said lead study author Dr. Aidan Cashin, deputy director of the Centre for Pain IMPACT at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and conjoint senior lecturer in the School of Health Sciences at UNSW Sydney.

Only around one in every 10 treatments was found to be effective in relieving lower back pain, according to a new study. (iStock)

The researchers reviewed 301 randomized, controlled trials that included data on 56 non-surgical treatments for adults experiencing acute low back pain, chronic low back pain or a combination of both types, comparing them to groups that received placebos.

“Treatments included in the research were pharmacological, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – or NSAIDs – and muscle relaxants, but also non-pharmacological, like exercise and massage,” Cashin said.

Effective and ineffective treatments

Ineffective treatments for acute low back pain included exercise, steroid injections and paracetamol (acetaminophen), the study found.

For chronic low back pain, antibiotics and anaesthetics were also “unlikely to be suitable treatment options,” the study found.

Around 16 million adults experience persistent or chronic back pain, data shows. (iStock)

For acute low back pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) could be effective, the study found.

For chronic low back pain, therapies including exercise, taping, spinal manipulation, antidepressants and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) agonists may be effective — “however, those effects were small,” Cashin noted.

“Things like stress, sleep quality, fatigue, fear, social situations, nutrition, sickness and previous history of pain all play a role in how we experience pain.”

The findings were “inconclusive” for many other treatments due to the “limited number of randomized participants and poor study quality,” the researchers stated.

“We need further high-quality, placebo-controlled trials to understand the efficacy of treatments and remove the uncertainty for both patients and clinical teams,” Cashin said.

Dr. Stephen Clark, a physical therapist and chief clinical officer at Confluent Health in Georgia, noted that the study was looking at “isolated interventions.”

“They excluded studies where it was not possible to isolate the effectiveness of the target intervention,” Clark, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.

‘Complex condition’

Pain is a complex condition influenced by many different factors, according to Clark.

“Determining a specific cause of low back pain, particularly when the pain is persistent, is difficult, as the BMJ study points out,” he said.

For acute low back pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) could be effective, the study found. (iStock)

“Things like stress, sleep quality, fatigue, fear, social situations, nutrition, sickness and previous history of pain all play a role in how we experience pain.”

Clark recommends “multimodal” treatments for pain, including multiple interventions tailored to each individual patient’s experience.

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“Physical therapy research shows that manual therapy (joint mobilization/manipulation, soft tissue techniques), active interventions like exercise, and education about why you hurt and what to do about it is the ticket,” he said.

“It’s also important to remember that what worked for someone else might not be the exact pathway that works for you,” one physical therapist said. (iStock)

“It’s also important to remember that what worked for someone else might not be the exact pathway that works for you.”

While surgical intervention can be effective for some patients, Clark noted that it can present its own challenges and should be a “last resort” for non-emergency situations.

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“While surgery is indicated in some cases, it’s almost never the answer in isolation,” he said. “Understanding pain and the complexity around a person’s situation must be in view.”

“In many cases, conservative care can prevent or delay the need for invasive procedures.”

Melissa Rudy is senior health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to melissa.rudy@fox.com.

Health

The Best Time To Drink Coffee for Weight Loss and a Faster Metabolism

Published

11 hours ago

February 27, 2026

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The Best Time To Drink Coffee for Weight Loss and a Faster Metabolism

The Best Time To Drink Coffee for Weight Loss and Fat Burn | Woman’s World

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Health

‘SuperAgers’ stay mentally sharp well past 80, as scientists reveal the reason

Published

12 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

‘SuperAgers’ stay mentally sharp well past 80, as scientists reveal the reason

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A doctor says the second wave of flu season may be worse than previous years. (iStock)

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Stat of the week

More than 59% of women may have high blood pressure by 2050, according to a new report from the American Heart Association.

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This article was written by Fox News staff.

Health

Heart disease threat projected to climb sharply for key demographic

Published

24 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Heart disease threat projected to climb sharply for key demographic

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A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.

The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.

More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.

The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.

As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)

Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.

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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”

“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.

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“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)

Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”

The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.

The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.

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“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”

Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.

Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)

Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.

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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.

The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.

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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”

“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”

“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)

“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”

The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.

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“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.

“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”

Angelica Stabile is a lifestyle reporter for Fox News Digital.