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Lower Back Pain (LBP): A Literature Review

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Approximately 80% of adults will be subjected to lower back pain (LBP) during their lifetime. Chronic lower back pain can be debilitating and can last 12 weeks or longer, even after treatment. There have been various management and treatment options, including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), studied to find the most effective intervention for lower back pain. A literature review was performed examining the efficacy of CAM for the treatment of LBP. Current evidence suggests that the use of CAM in conjunction with usual care may improve function and pain levels in patients experiencing LBP.

Lower back pain (LBP) is the third most burdensome condition in the United States (National Institutes of Health [NIH], 2014). It increases health care costs, reduces work productivity, causes missed days at work, and is a common cause of disability (Eisenberg et al., 2012). Treatments for LBP includes conventional methods of medications, exercises, and heat/cold packs, as well as, alternative treatments of chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage (NIH, 2014). If pain persists with traditional therapies, surgery may be considered the next option (NIH, 2014). Based on recent research, complementary and alternative medicines used in addition to usual care have the potential to decrease pain, increase function, and significantly lower health care costs (Eisenberg et al., 2012). …show more content…

These included a large randomized controlled trial (Cherkin et al, 2011), a qualitative study (Eaves et al., 2015), a pilot randomized controlled trial (Eisenberg et al., 2012), and an evidence mapping research design (Goode et al.,

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