PORTLAND, Ore., May 18, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- The American Pain Society has
issued new clinical guidelines for low-back pain, emphasizing the use of
non-invasive therapy versus interventional procedures.
The new guidelines that also call for shared decision-making between provider
and patient are based on an extensive review of existing research. The society
said the guidelines provide clinicians with eight recommendations to help
determine the best way to treat patients with low-back pain, expanding current
and previously published guidelines for initial evaluation and management of the
chronic condition.
"These recommendations are based on an even more complete body of evidence than
was available just a few years ago," said Dr. Roger Chou, lead author of the
study and an associate professor of medicine at the Oregon Health & Science
University. "Consequently, we believe these recommendations will give physicians
more confidence when treating patients with persistent back pain. Unfortunately,
randomized trials for a number of commonly used interventional procedures are
still too limited to generate evidence-based recommendations, and our review
also highlights the need for more research."
The guidelines appear in the journal Spine.
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