Low-Back Pain and Complementary Health Approaches

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Low-back pain is a very common problem. About 80 percent of adults have low-back pain at some point in their lives. It’s the most common cause of job-related disability and a leading contributor to missed work days and visits to physicians.

 

There’s evidence that several psychological or physical complementary health approaches (also called mind and body practices) may be helpful for acute or chronic low-back pain.

  • Approaches that have shown promise for both acute and chronic low-back pain include acupuncture and spinal manipulation.

  • Additional approaches that may be helpful for chronic low-back pain include mindfulness-based stress reduction, progressive muscle relaxation, tai chi, and yoga.

  • For acute low-back pain, massage therapy may be helpful.

 

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