Try Drug-Free Options First, Say Experts

New treatment guidelines from the American College of Physicians (ACP) recommend that people with a new episode of low back pain should try drug-free therapies before considering medication. In general, the guidelines recommended that those with back pain that has lasted less than twelve weeks should consider non-drug therapies such as heat wraps, massage, acupuncture, and spinal manipulation (the primary form of treatment offered by chiropractors) to ease pain and restore function. The ACP stressed that powerful opioid painkillers should only be used as a last resort in some cases of long-lasting back pain. Annals of Internal Medicine, February 2017