Low Back Pain Eases But Lingers

After 6 weeks of treatment symptoms of lower back pain improve significantly, but at 1 year chronic pain and disability remain in a majority of patients, researchers reported. 

In a meta-analysis, pain scores averaging 52 out of 100 at baseline decreased to 23 after 6 weeks of treatment. Among patients with acute back pain, recovery was noted within 12 weeks.  Less than half of those patients with chronic back pain had recovered by 1 year. 

“Patients who presented with acute or persistent low-back pain improved markedly in the first six weeks. After that time improvement slowed. Low to moderate levels of pain and disability were still present at one year, especially in the cohorts with persistent pain,” the researchers concluded. 

-Michael Potts