Articles: low-back-pain.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Graded activity for low back pain in occupational health care: a randomized, controlled trial.
Low back pain is a common medical and social problem frequently associated with disability and absence from work. However, data on effective return to work after interventions for low back pain are scarce. ⋯ Graded activity was more effective than usual care in reducing the number of days of absence from work because of low back pain.
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Treatment for chronic low back pain (pain persisting for over 3 months) falls into three broad categories: monotherapies, mulitidisciplinary therapy, and reductionism. Most monotherapies either do not work or have limited efficacy (eg, analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, antidepressants, physiotherapy, manipulative therapy and surgery). ⋯ While conventional investigations do not reveal the cause of pain, joint blocks and discography can identify zygapophysial joint pain (in 15%-40%), sacroiliac joint pain (in about 20%) and internal disc disruption (in over 40%). Zygapophysial joint pain can be relieved by radiofrequency neurotomy; techniques are emerging for treating sacroiliac joint pain and internal disc disruption.