Low Back Pain – First-Choice Treatments

The American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends a drug-free method — soft laser treatment — as the first option for treating low back pain.

The ACP, that is the American College of Physicians, with nearly 150,000 members is the second-largest medical society in the United States. The professional body already believed in 2007 that drug-free methods should be recommended first for treating low back pain; since then new studies have supported their ideas. In a recent review they re-examined their 2007 findings and recommendations. They systematically evaluated the effects of various nonpharmacologic treatments on acute and chronic low back pain. This is particularly important because back and low back complaints are among the most widespread types of pain worldwide. In Western societies back pain has become a mass disease affecting large numbers due to sedentary lifestyles and lack of exercise.

First-choice treatments for low back pain

There are several non-drug and non-surgical options to relieve low back pain. Simple and safe methods include massage and acupuncture. Physical therapy treatments, such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), ultrasound therapy or soft laser therapy are considered procedures without side effects.

The 2017 review was funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Adults with acute (lasting no more than 4 weeks), subacute (lasting 4–12 weeks) and chronic (lasting longer than 12 weeks) low back pain all took part. The results largely supported the findings of the earlier 2007 review. In addition, they expanded the list of treatments that can be used to relieve low back pain to include some methods that had not previously been listed.

This list also includes soft laser therapy, which proved to be highly effective in the review.

In light of the results, the ACP prefers the above-mentioned physical therapy approaches for relieving low back pain. The respected society's members believe that pharmacological and/or surgical treatments should only be considered if physical therapy options fail to produce results. Even then, it is necessary to weigh whether the potential benefits outweigh the possible harms and adverse effects.