Articles: back-pain.
-
Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is the most common cause of low back pain and severely affects people's quality of life and ability to work. Although many clinical trials and medical reports conducted over the years have shown that acupuncture treatments are effective for LDH, the comparative effectiveness of these different acupuncture therapies is still unclear. This protocol of a network meta-analysis was designed to compare the effects and safety of acupuncture treatment regimens on LDH using both direct and indirect evidence. ⋯ This proposed systematic review will evaluate the comparative efficacy and safety of various acupuncture methods and combination protocols for LDH.
-
Piriformis syndrome (PS) is a condition in which the sciatic nerve is compressed when passing through the inferior mouth of the piriformis muscle, mainly caused by pain in one hip and leg. In severe cases, patients may experience severe buttock and lower limb pain, discomfort, difficulty walking, and claudication. It is estimated that the annual incidence of low back pain and sciatica is about 40 million cases, and the annual incidence of piriformis syndrome is about 2.4 million cases. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness and safety of Little needle-scalpel therapy for Piriformis syndrome. ⋯ This systematic review will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal or presented at relevant conferences. It is not necessary for a formal ethical approval because the data are not individualized.
-
Comparative Study Observational Study
A Prospective Observational Study of Emergency Department-Initiated Physical Therapy for Acute Low Back Pain.
Low back pain accounts for nearly 4 million emergency department (ED) visits annually and is a significant source of disability. Physical therapy has been suggested as a potentially effective nonopioid treatment for low back pain; however, no studies to our knowledge have yet evaluated the emerging resource of ED-initiated physical therapy. The study objective was to compare patient-reported outcomes in patients receiving ED-initiated physical therapy and patients receiving usual care for acute low back pain. ⋯ Emergency department-initiated physical therapy for low back pain was associated with greater improvement in functioning and lower use of high-risk medications over 3 months.
-
Spine conditions are costly and a major cause of disability. A growing body of evidence suggests that healthcare utilization and spending are driven by provider availability, which varies geographically and is a topic of healthcare policy debate. ⋯ Provider availability affects individual spine spending, with substantial changes observed at the national level. The effect depends on provider type and whether availability increases or decreases. Policymakers should consider how changes in the size of the physician workforce affect healthcare spending.
-
Patients with low back pain frequently undergo a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, but some of these have uncertain effectiveness. This highlights the importance of the association of healthcare services and therapeutic measures relating to disability. ⋯ Occurrence of the combined of consultations and medication use was correlated with higher chance of severe disability among these elderly people with nonspecific low back pain. This suggested that overuse and "crowding-in" effects were present in medical services for elderly people.