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Comprehensive rehabilitation programs for low back pain

Comprehensive rehabilitation programs offer a variety of treatments for low back pain, integrating physical therapy, pain management with medication and mental skills, and various medical treatments. They teach people how to care for their backs, how to prevent reinjury, and, in the case of people with chronic pain, how to manage their pain (and situations that make their pain worse) on a daily basis. The most reputable programs are staffed by a team that includes doctors, physical therapists, behavioral counselors, and social workers.

You are likely to benefit from a comprehensive rehab program if you have:

  • Pain and decreased function that have not improved after 2 to 4 months of treatment.
  • Chronic low back pain. An intensive multidisciplinary treatment program is considered the most effective approach to treating chronic low back pain.1
  • Had back surgery.
  • Had one or more unsuccessful back surgeries and have been incapacitated for several years.

Citations

  1. Van Tulder M, Koes B (2004). Low back pain (chronic). Clinical Evidence (12): 1657–1682.

Author Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH
Author Lila Havens
Editor Kathleen M. Ariss, MS
Editor Katy E. Magee, MA
Associate Editor Michele Cronen
Associate Editor Tracy Landauer
Primary Medical Reviewer William M. Green, MD
- Emergency Medicine
Primary Medical Reviewer Kathleen Romito, MD
- Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer Kathie Hummel-Berry, PT, PhD
- Physical Therapy
Specialist Medical Reviewer Robert B. Keller, MD
- Orthopedics
Last Updated February 15, 2006

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: February 15, 2006
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