If you suffer from back pain, there could a simpler – and safer – way to treat it than rigorous therapy and dangerous drugs.
The cure for debilitating back pain could be mind over matter.
Researchers from Penn State and the University of Wisconsin-Madison looked at two mind hacks to cure back pain as effectively as, if not better than, opioids.
The US Pain Foundation reports more than 51million American adults live with chronic pain and pain in America costs as much as $635billion a year in direct health care costs, lost productivity, and disability payments.
Meanwhile, back pain is one of the leading causes of pain in the country and it’s estimated up to 80 percent of people will experience back pain at some point during their lifetimes.
In the latest study investigating natural ways to treat the ailment, 770 adults with chronic lower back pain were tracked for one year as they tried two different types of drug-free therapies; mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
MBT – which teaches people to focus on the present moment – is a growing movement based on ancient Eastern traditions of meditation and CBT is a type of psychological therapy more commonly used to treat depression and anxiety.
MBT is designed to help the patient develop a healthier, more accepting relationship with their thoughts and feelings, while CBT looks at how we think about situations, and how these thoughts affect the way we act and feel.
The goal of the therapies is to change thinking patterns and behavior to achieve a more positive outcome.
The US Pain Foundation reports more than 51 million American adults live with chronic pain and pain in America costs as much as $635 billion a year in direct health care costs, lost productivity, and disability payments
A common treatment for back pain is nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, and muscle relaxants like cyclobenzaprine, but they have a high risk for abuse and overdose.
In 2022, nearly 110,000 Americans died from drug overdoses, and more than 81,000 deaths involved either prescription or illicit opioids – an increase of approximately 400 percent over a decade.
It is hoped that promoting mindfulness-based practices as an alternative to opioid use for pain management could potentially help reduce the opioid epidemic.
For the study, participants were divided equally between the two treatment approaches.
Both treatments involved eight weekly two-hour group sessions led by experienced therapists, with recommended daily home practice.
Over the course of 12 months, both groups showed significant improvements with less intense pain, improved physical function, and an improved quality of life.
Researchers also found the participants’ reliance on drugs had decreased. It is unclear what medications they were prescribed for their pain.
Initially, researchers believed MBT would prove more effective, but both therapies were found to provide similar relief.
The researchers concluded: ‘MBT and CBT were associated with safe improvements in pain and functional outcomes among adults affected with refractory, complex, opioid-treated chronic lower back pain.
‘We need to better understand how to support dissemination and implementation of evidence-based psychological treatments for chronic pain and their coverage by health plans.’
Other studies have shown mind hacks to be just as effective as drugs to treat various ailments.
One 2015 study published in The Lancet, found mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) led to similar outcomes as antidepressants when treating the mental disorder.
The above shows the average pain severity, based on the Brief Pain Inventory score (BPI), over 12 months
The above shows physical limitations people with back pain experienced measured using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
Researchers found patients on a MBCT course suffered almost the same rates of recurrence as those taking anti-depressants.
Over two years, relapse rates were 44 percent in the MBCT group compared to 47 per cent in the medication group.
This suggests it offers an ‘alternative treatment’ for those averse to the idea of taking drugs, said the researchers.
Meanwhile, CBT is a very popular and well-researched form of psychotherapy in the US and often considered a first-line treatment for various mental health conditions.
However, experts believe it could be used in other situations.
In one study, it was found that CBT may work better for people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome than medication.
The study of more than 500 patients found counselling over the phone or online significantly reduced painful symptoms.
Up to 15 percent of Americans suffer from IBS, which mainly causes abdominal pain, bloating and the embarrassment of having to rush to the toilet.
But experts say less than half benefit from drugs such as laxatives or fiber supplements, which doctors are recommended to prescribe in the first instance.
Researchers led by the University of Southampton in the UK looked at IBS sufferers on the standard treatment of medication, comparing them with those also given CBT.
They found patients given the talking therapy, with either a manual or website to work through, saw their symptoms get much better.
