The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Does 48 hours' bed rest influence the outcome of acute low back pain?
Bed rest is a traditional treatment for back pain, yet only in recent years has the therapeutic benefit of this been questioned. ⋯ The results of this pilot study did not indicate whether bed rest or remaining mobile was superior for the treatment of acute low back pain; however, the study sample was small. Subjects in the control group possibly fared better as they appeared to have better lumbar flexion at day seven. It appears that 48 hours' bed rest cannot be recommended for the treatment of acute low back pain on the basis of this small study. Large-scale definitive trials are required to detect clinically significant differences.