Medical News
New guidelines aim for better treatment of chronic low back pain
Recommendations tackle the most common cause of disability in the world
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) has launched its first guidelines for the care of patients with longterm low back pain with the aim of providing useful advice for health workers on the key dos and don ’ ts of treating the condition .
�ow back pain is the main cause of disability worldwide , according to the �H� , with about one in �� people suffering from it in ���� , or ��� million people . Since ���� , the number of cases has risen by �� percent and is pro�ected to reach about ��� million in ���� due to growing populations in Asia and Africa who live longer .
Those who e�perience pain regularly can have a poor �uality of life , making it hard to participate in social activities and be productive at work , which can in turn lead to psychological problems . �ower back pain is also associated with other diseases and a higher risk of death . In addition , people who suffer from the condition in the long term are more likely to face poverty , lose their �obs , and have less wealth for retirement , especially the elderly .
�To achieve universal health coverage , the issue of low back pain cannot be ignored , as it is the leading cause of disability globally , � �r Bruce Aylward , �H� Assistant �irector-General , �niversal Health Coverage , �ife Course , said in a press release . �Countries can address this ubi�uitous but oftenoverlooked challenge by incorporating key , achievable interventions , as they strengthen their approaches to primary health care . �
These include education programmes to e�pand knowledge of low back pain and teach self-care strategies and e�ercise programmes that support the use of physical therapy like spinal manipulative therapy and massage , psychological therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy , and medications like non-steroidal anti-in�ammatory drugs .
The guidelines recommend a holistic and personcentred approach that takes into consideration different physical , psychological , and social aspects as these all contribute to the e�perience of chronic low back pain . This means that several interventions are likely to be re�uired to manage the condition instead of a single treatment .
�Addressing chronic low back pain re�uires an integrated , person-centred approach . This means considering each person ’ s uni�ue situation and the factors that might in�uence their pain e�perience , � �r Anshu Baner�ee , �H� �irector for �aternal , Newborn , Child , Adolescent Health and Ageing , said in the press release . ��e are using this guideline as a tool to support a holistic approach to chronic low back pain care and to improve the �uality , safety and availability of care . �
The guidelines also advise against using certain approaches in most cases , meaning that they should not be offered as standard treatment because their risks are higher than their benefits . These include lumbar braces , belts , and supports� physical therapies like traction ( i . e ., pulling on part of the body ) � and medicines like opioid pain killers that can lead to overdose and addiction .
The �H� recommends countries integrate the new guidelines into their universal health coverage while also raising awareness about the proper care for low back pain through public health campaigns .
Addressing chronic low back pain requires an integrated , personcentred approach
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