Back Pain Health Center

News and Features Related to Back Pain

Comfrey Root Eases Back Pain

May 21, 2009 -- People who suffer from acute back pain may find relief in the form of comfrey root, a plant long thought to have medicinal value. A new study, funded by the drug company Merck and published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, showed that people with acute back pain who used an
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Acupuncture May Ease Chronic Back Pain

May 11, 2009 -- The ancient technique of acupuncture helps relieve chronic back pain better than standard care such as medications or physical therapy, according to a new study. Even more surprising, all three acupuncture techniques tested -- including a "sham" technique with toothpicks and no skin
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Hands-On Relief From Back Pain

April 6, 2009 -- Back pain can be a big pain in the neck. To deal with it, many U.S. adults favor hands-on therapies such as chiropractic manipulation, massage, and physical therapy, a new survey says. Consumer Reports says in its May issue that 80% of adults in the U.S. report having been bothered
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Ozone May Help Herniated Disc Pain

March 9, 2009 -- An experimental treatment that involves injections of ozone gas into the spine is showing promise for the relief of herniated disc-related lower back pain. Its supporters say ozone therapy could become a standard treatment for the condition within the next five years in the United S
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Obesity a Pain in the Back?

Feb. 11, 2009 -- The number of Americans suffering from chronic low back pain is on the rise, and a new study says the nation’s obesity epidemic may be partly to blame. In North Carolina, the percentage of people suffering from chronic low back pain has more than doubled since the early 1990s, accor
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Back Pain: Medication and Addiction

People living with serious back pain have to sort through a lot of mixed messages about opioid -- or narcotic -- painkillers. On the one hand, you've heard stories about the seeming epidemic of addiction to these drugs, like OxyContin, Percocet, and Vicodin. All those celebrities checking into rehab
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Cymbalta May Cut Chronic Low Back Pain

Aug. 26, 2008 -- Cymbalta, a prescription drug used to treat depression, generalized anxiety disorder, diabetic nerve pain, and fibromyalgia, may ease chronic low back pain. That's according to a study presented in Madrid at the 12th congress of the European Federation of the Neurological Sciences.
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Alexander Technique Eases Back Pain

Aug. 19, 2008 -- The Alexander technique, a little-known type of physical therapy designed to reduce chronic pain, is more effective at reducing back pain than exercise alone or massage therapy, according to a new study. The study, published in the journal BMJ, tested different back pain treatments
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Relieve Back Pain With Core Strength Training

Pierce Dunn thought surgery had put an end to nearly 15 years of back pain. After a double discectomy about eight years ago, he says, “I could wake up in the morning without worrying that I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed. I became a human being again!” Feeling revitalized, Dunn, now 57, a partne
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Soft Bed or Hard Bed for Back Pain?

April 3, 2008 -- If Goldilocks had lower back pain, she'd still prefer the bed that was just right. It's one of the most common questions back pain patients ask. Which is better -- Daddy Bear's hard mattress or Mommy Bear's soft one? Kim Bergholdt, DC, of Denmark's Funen Back Center, and colleagues
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