It’s a pain. About 80 percent of adults in the United States will experience lower back pain at some point. Treating back pain typically involves medication, including opioids, surgery, therapy and self-care options. Efforts to reduce opioid use and increase physically based therapies to reduce pain and increase physical function and safety are crucial.

Patients are often advised to use non-pharmacological treatments to manage lower back pain such as exercise and mind-body interventions. But, do they really help? Researchers evaluated the evidence of effects of three movement-based mind-body interventions on chronic low back pain. They examined yoga; tai chi, which combines gentle physical exercise and stretching with mindfulness; and qigong, a traditional Chinese meditative movement therapy focused on body awareness and attention during slow, relaxed, and fluid repetitive body movements.

The researchers reviewed data to determine the effects of movement-based mind-body interventions on chronic back pain, psychological factors, coping strategies, and quality of life in people suffering with back pain.

Of the 625 peer-reviewed articles the researchers identified, 32 met inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Results found that the majority of these articles showed movement-based mind-body interventions to be effective for treatment of low back pain, reporting positive outcomes such as reduction in pain or psychological distress like depression and anxiety, reduction in pain-related disability, and improved functional ability.

Not into yoga, tai chi or qigong? Consider chiropractic care if you suffer from low back pain. Doctors of Chiropractic receive four years of post-graduate training in a wide variety of non- surgical pain relief procedures, and specialize in low back pain relief.

Presented as a service to the community by : Union County Chiropractic Clinic, 110 Skyline Drive, Maynardville, TN (865) 992-7000 www.unioncountychiropractic.com.