Archive · 6 Jun 2025
Combined Therapies More Effective for Chronic Back Pain, Study Shows
Researchers looked at different ways to help people with long-term back pain.
They found that combining things like exercise, thinking differently about pain (CBT), and paying attention to your body (mindfulness) works best.
These treatments give people skills to handle their pain.
While quick fixes like massage or medicine can help, these combined approaches work better for a longer time.
The study showed that these treatments reduced disability by around 20%.
More research is needed, but these findings suggest that treating the causes of pain, and giving people ways to manage it themselves, can make a big difference.
A study found that combined physical and psychological therapies are more effective for long-term back pain.
Researchers reviewed 75 trials involving approximately 15,400 participants.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, exercise, and multidisciplinary care showed long-term benefits.
Interventions reduced disability by about 20%, a clinically meaningful difference.
Most recommendations focus on treating symptoms, not underlying causes of back pain.
- Who
- Researchers from Macquarie University
- What
- A study on the effectiveness of various treatments for chronic low back pain.
- When
- Published June 6, 2025
- Where
- Macquarie University, Australia
- Why
- To find treatments for chronic back pain that produce the long-term benefits to reduce the global burden
Short-Term Relief
Long-Term Management
Focus of Treatments
Short-Term Relief
Treating symptoms.
Long-Term Management
Addressing underlying causes and problems.
- Study Participants
- Around 15,400
- Number of Trials Reviewed
- 75
- Treatments Studied
- 20 non-surgical treatments
- Effective Treatments
- CBT, mindfulness, exercise, and multidisciplinary care
- Average Disability Reduction
- About 20%
- Estimated Global Cases by 2050
- Could exceed a billion