Background
For individuals with recurrent or persistent non-specific low back pain (LBP), exercise and exercise combined with education have been shown to be effective in preventing new episodes or in reducing the impact of the condition. Chiropractors have traditionally used Maintenance Care (MC), as secondary and tertiary prevention strategies. The aim of this trial was to investigate the effectiveness of MC on pain trajectories for patients with recurrent or persistent LBP.
Results: Three hundred and twenty-eight subjects were randomly allocated to one of the two treatment groups. Maintenance Care resulted in a reduction in the total number of days per week with bothersome LBP compared with symptom-guided treatment.
Conclusion
MC was more effective than symptom-guided treatment in reducing the total number of days over 52 weeks with bothersome non-specific LBP but it resulted in a higher number of treatments. For selected patients with recurrent or persistent non-specific LBP who respond well to an initial course of chiropractic care, MC should be considered an option for tertiary prevention.
For the full article please click here.
Our thoughts:
We love this piece of research! The numbers used were large and the point was specifically to look at ongoing Chiropractic care and how it can help with preventing low back pain. We are often asked by our patients if they can continue care after their pain has gone and of course our answer is a resounding YES! This research helps to back up our clinical findings that if people regularly look after their spines with Chiropractic care they can prevent recurrences of low back pain.
