Episode 96: Making the treatment of low back pain less of a pain in the derrière – part 2

In episode 96, Mike and James continue on with the discussion around evidence for low back pain treatment. They discuss things like traction, heat, exercise and bedrest and then finally get into drugs – not personally of course, at least not much, but into the discussion  of which ones work and by how much. We conclude with an expert discussion of experts and suggest that experts are not necessarily experts when it comes to evidence.

Show notes

1) Traction

Cochrane 2007;2:CD003010

2) Heat and ice

Cochrane 2006;1:CD004750

3) Lumbar support

Cochrane 2008;2:CD001823

4) Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

Cochrane 2008;4:CD003008

5) Exercise

Cochrane 2005;3:CD000335

6) Bedrest

Cochrane 2004;4:CD001254

7) Yoga and transcutaneous electrical stimulation

Ann Intern Med 2007;147:492-504

8) Acetaminophen

Eur Spine J 2008;17:1423-30

9) NSAIDs

Cochrane 2008;1:CD000396

10) Opioids

Cochrane 2007; 3:CD004959

Ann Intern Med 2007;146:116-27

11) Muscle relaxants

Ann Intern Med 2007;147:505-14

12) Benzodiazepines

Ann Intern Med 2007;147:505-14

13) Gabapentin

N Engl J Med 2009;361:1963-71

14) GPs with special interest in back pain tend to not know the evidence

Spine 2009;34:1218–26