| Back pain disorder is prevalent. Based on | | | | As more employers required the use of back |
| American surveys, it is one of the most common | | | | belts from their workers, investigators from the |
| excuses for not reporting for work. Based on the | | | | National Institute for Occupational Safety and |
| rate of its prevalence, survey results also showed | | | | Health disclosed in their findings that back belts |
| that the American population alone spends as | | | | had no conclusive evidence in preventing low back |
| much as $50 billion every year for different | | | | pain. |
| remedies for lower back pain. | | | | In another study conducted at the Northwestern |
| Medical experts believe that there is not perfect | | | | University's Feinberg School of Medicine, their |
| solution in treating lumbar disorders. Experts in the | | | | conclusion about back belts as one of the |
| medical community also conduct clinical tests | | | | remedies for lower back pain has no direct effect |
| regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of | | | | for the treatment of any one cause of lumbar |
| other treatments, and unfortunately several | | | | disorder. The belt merely provided comfort as it |
| remedies for lower back pain were found to be | | | | braces the lower back area. |
| wanting in conclusive evidence to support claims | | | | 4. Magnet Therapies |
| that they are beneficial. | | | | Researchers from a group known as Focus in |
| For this purpose, a list of remedies for lower back | | | | Alternative and Complementary Therapies |
| pain faulted or negated by medical experts as | | | | reviewed results of clinical studies about the |
| having no beneficial results in treating the back | | | | effect of magnet therapies. The overall results |
| problems, is provided below: | | | | showed that this particular therapy showed no |
| 1. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation or | | | | significant improvement in the conditions of the |
| TENS | | | | patients tested, except for some pain relief in |
| A doctor from the University of Washington | | | | knee osteoarthritis present in some of the |
| published a report in the New England Journal of | | | | patients. Hence, claims that magnet therapies are |
| Medicine that TENS does nothing to really treat | | | | effective remedies for lower back pain were |
| lower back pains except provide placebo effect. | | | | negated. |
| This was proven among 145 clinically tested | | | | 5. Percutaneous Intradiscal Radiofrequency |
| patients who were divided into groups that would | | | | Thermocoagulation (PIRFT) |
| use either genuine or fake TENS machine. | | | | This technique involved inserting a needle directly |
| Clinical conclusion shows that all 145 patients | | | | to the affected disc and will apply radiofrequency |
| claimed to feel better after the treatment and all | | | | to produce heat inside the disc. Accordingly, the |
| of them claimed there were improvements. By | | | | heat build up inside will stop the disc nerves from |
| the end of the 2nd month, all 145 patients | | | | sending out pain messages to the brain. A group |
| reported the recurrence of their back pains. | | | | of doctors conducted a new research and clinical |
| 2. Spinal Manipulation Therapy (SMT) | | | | study and have published their findings in a book. |
| Similar studies were also made by two universities | | | | Remedies for lower back pain abound yet not all |
| in two separate occasions, conducted by two | | | | of them are proven effective, based on the |
| different sets of medical experts. They arrived at | | | | information gathered above. Thus, it is always |
| the same conclusion that the effects of Spinal | | | | best for a patient to conduct his own research or |
| Manipulation Therapy are no better that the relief | | | | consult his physician, in order to avoid |
| derived from acetaminophens. | | | | unnecessary treatments that have no full medical |
| 3. Back Belts or Lumbar Back Support | | | | support. |