Frances Watkins, 20 Mar
NEW University of Limerick research has revealed that most treatments
being offered to teenagers with persistent back pain are ‘outdated’ and
ignore ‘big picture’ issues.
The study, carried out by researchers at University of Limerick along
with colleagues in the UK and Australia, has shown that new approaches
to tackling back pain are not being tested among teenagers.
The research, published in the European Journal of Pain, reveals that
there is a lack of treatments addressing the needs of teenagers with
persistent nonspecific back pain.
It shows specifically that treatments for adolescents with persistent
back pain have primarily relied upon an outdated, biomechanical
explanation of persisting pain. Rather, treatment should align with
current recommendations that both mind and body be addressed when back
pain is present.
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This more holistic understanding of back pain has led to a range of
innovative treatments being offered to adults with low back pain,
treatments which consider not just the back, but also the person’s
overall health and well-being.
However, the scoping review carried out by the UL team, led by PhD
researcher Sara D Hauber and Professor Kieran O’Sullivan of the School
of Allied Health and the Health Research Institute at UL, has shown
that these new approaches are not being tested among teenagers with
back pain.
Instead, most treatments being offered to teenagers with back pain tend
to ignore the ‘big picture’ issues such as sleep, mood, stress, and
relationships.
“Traditional approaches such as exercise can play a useful role in
helping teenagers with back pain,” explained PhD researcher Sara D
Hauber.
“However, exercise alone is rarely enough, and we have good evidence
that other factors can have a major impact on a person’s pain.”