In the event of back pain, certain complementary approaches make it possible to treat it in a more natural way.
Check out the detailed list below.
Back pain: effective complementary approaches
Important. Consult a doctor first to discover a possible physical cause of your back pain. The following unconventional treatments have been tested in people with back pain that was not related to a specific disease.
Most have been evaluated on patients with chronic low back pain. As for the sheet on muscular disorders of the neck, it specifically lists the complementary treatments tested for neck pain.
Osteopathy
Several studies15,16 have shown the effectiveness of osteopathy and chiropractic in cases of persistent back pain. Beware, however, the effectiveness of chiropractic and spinal manipulations is controversial, some studies have not shown any improvement following these techniques, compared to sham manipulations17.
However, doctors advise against spinal manipulation, whether osteopathic or chiropractic, during the acute phase. They can be recommended in the subacute phase (4 to 12 weeks) or chronic.
Yoga
A recent meta-analysis of 10 studies and more than 900 patients with chronic lower back pain indicates that yoga is an effective way to relieve back pain in the short and long term.
Hydrotherapy (spa cures)
The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) analyzed 19 clinical trials of balneotherapy and confirmed its usefulness for chronic low back pain, among other joint ailments.
Massage therapy
Several researchers have studied the therapeutic effects of massage in the treatment of back pain. A recent systematic review bringing together 9 publications indicates that the studies20, although insufficient, show some effectiveness of massage in relieving low back pain in the short term.
Consult our Massotherapy sheet.
Acupuncture
With regard to chronic lower back pain, acupuncture seems to be an interesting treatment option, according to a recent meta-analysis
