Maybe hold off on those pain pills the next time your lower back acts up. A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that back pain sufferers who went to chiropractors, massage therapists or physical therapists reported the same decrease in pain and ability to move afterward as those who regularly took pain pills.
The study is among the latest in a shift away from pills. The American College of Physicians recently updated their guidelines suggesting people try techniques like massage, heat wraps or spinal manipulation before reaching for medication.
“Even over-the-counter medications have some important side effects and complications. Spinal manipulation seems to be quite safe when it’s done in the lower back,” Dr. Richard Deyo of the Oregon Health and Science University told NPR.
