Soundbites: Finding relief for chronic back pain
Chronic lower back pain is a common condition, and experts say there's no convincing evidence that surgeries, injections and other therapies are effective in the long run. Mark Jensen, UW Medicine's vice chair for research in rehabilitation medicine, is conducting the Back on Track study. It examines the effectiveness of three treatments – behavioral activation, mindfulness meditation, and cognitive therapy – that might yield insights to personalized medicine for back-pain sufferers.
Once we learn how to better match these treatments to patients, we anticipate we’ll be able to see more patients hurt less and do more," Jensen says.