Relief for aching backs
Hands-on therapies were top-reated by 14,000 consumers
Photograph by Dutertre2
This article is the archived version of a report that appeared in May 2009 Consumer Reports Magazine.
About 80 percent of U.S. adults have at some point been bothered by back pain. The Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center recently surveyed more than 14,000 subscribers who had lower-back pain in the past year but had never had back surgery. More than half said pain severely limited their daily routine for a week or longer, and 88 percent said it recurred through the year. Many said the pain interfered with sleep, sex, and efforts to maintain a healthy weight.
Back pain can be tough to treat. Most of our respondents tried five or six different treatments. They rated the helpfulness of the treatments tried and their satisfaction with the health-care professionals visited.
Hands-on therapies were among the top-rated. Fifty-eight percent of those who tried chiropractic manipulation said it helped a lot, and 59 percent were "completely" or "very" satisfied with their chiropractor. Massage and physical therapy were close runners-up.
Many of those who tried spinal injections found them to be very helpful, although the techniques their doctors used varied. Most respondents had used some type of medication. Forty-five percent of those who took prescription drugs said they helped a lot, double the percentage of those who said they were helped by over-the-counter medications.
Who helped the most?
The percent of people highly (completely or very) satisfied with their back-pain treatments and advice varied by practitioner visited.
| Professional | Highly satisfied |
|---|---|
| Chiropractor | 59% |
| Physical therapist | 55 |
| Acupuncturist | 53 |
| Physician, specialist | 44 |
| Physician, primary care | 34 |
"Everyone seems to be selling some kind of gimmick, treatment, or pill for low-back pain," says neurologist Scott Haldeman, M.D., who co-edited the January/February 2008 issue of The Spine Journal, which reviewed ways of treating low-back pain. But when treatments abound, it's usually because there's no clear winner.
A visit to a primary-care doctor is a smart first step when back pain is severe. A doctor can help rule out disease, such as infection or cancer. Although many of our respondents who saw a primary-care doctor left dissatisfied, doctors can write referrals for hands-on treatments that might be covered by health insurance.
Enduring the pain or seeing a chiropractor or physical therapist as a first step might be OK for a recurrent, familiar back problem. Most of the 35 percent of our respondents who didn't see a health professional had severely limiting pain for less than a week. Many of those with more prolonged pain who didn't see a healthcare professional said it was because of cost concerns or because they did not believe professional care could help.
Research suggests that chiropractic manipulation can reduce acute low-back pain, and many, though certainly not all, of the respondents who tried it said it helped. Albert McCann, 54, a respondent from Lakeland, Fla., has kept working as a petroleum transport engineer, driving a semi truck and using 20-foot-long hoses several times a day. By following a chiropractor's recommendations and getting treatment every few weeks—including manual adjustments, electric stimulation, and a spinalator (roller-massage table)—he is able to keep his back pain to a minimum.
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