ST. LOUIS (KTVI) – Dr. Linda Van Dillen, Washington University School of Medicine, visits Fox 2 News in the Morning to share with viewers how they might alleviate back pain.
Low back pain is the most common type of chronic pain in adults and at least 80 percent of people will experience it in their lifetime.
The university is conducting a treatment study on low back pain, comparing two frequently used treatments to see which works best.
It is estimated that the annual costs for low back pain related health care is $30.7 billion, and only increasing.
The study involves three visits to the lab, six weeks of (free) physical therapy (one hour a week), and surveys sent via email once a month for 12 months. The three lab visits occur before treatment stars, at the end of the six weeks of treatment, and six months later. At each lab visit, participants have an evaluation by a physical therapist; they’ll complete surveys and then complete a series of movement testing.
Participants receive the physical therapy treatment at no cost and are also compensated for each stage of the study they complete.
The study is looking for participants ages 18 to 60 who have had low back pain for at least the past 12 months and have a BMI under 30.
For more information call (314) 286-1190 or visit: lowbackpainstudy.wustl.edu
