PMC full text:
Table 2
Treatments for acute and chronic low back pain3,4
| Effectiveness | Acute low back pain | Chronic low back pain |
|---|---|---|
| Beneficial | Advice to stay active, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) | Exercise therapy, Intensive multidisciplinary treatment programmes |
| Trade off | Muscle relaxants | Muscle relaxants |
| Likely to be beneficial | Spinal manipulation, behaviour therapy, multidisciplinary treatment programmes (for subacute low back pain) | Analgesics, acupuncture, antidepressants, back schools, behaviour therapy, NSAIDs, spinal manipulation |
| Unknown | Analgesics, acupuncture, back schools, epidural steroid injections, lumbar supports, massage, multidisciplinary treatment (for acute low back pain), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, traction, temperature treatments, electromyographical biofeedback | Epidural steroid injections, EMG biofeedback, lumbar supports, massage, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, traction, local injections |
| Unlikely to be beneficial | Specific back exercises | — |
| Ineffective or harmful | Bed rest | Facet joint injections |