Numerous treatment options exist, but most over-the-counter pain medications and treatments last only a short time. For those who have the need for chronic low back pain treatment or sciatica treatment options, there are some new and promising research studies happening, and you could be a part of them. To help you, consider these nonsurgical back pain treatment options and new methods becoming available.

Standard Evidence-Based Care

Back pain treatment depends on the underlying condition causing the pain. Your healthcare professional will consider what’s occurring by evaluating your ability to walk, stand, sit, and lift your legs. You’ll need to describe the type and level of pain you’re experiencing, as well as how often and when you feel that discomfort. Common initial treatment options include:

• NSAIDs for back pain: Over-the-counter medications can provide relief for nerve-based pain. In some situations, doctors may recommend more significant pain medications, such as muscle relaxants, that will improve overall function. Topical treatments may also be an applicable therapy for muscle-based pain.
• Exercise for back pain: Exercise for chronic low back pain may help strengthen the muscles in that area, reducing the pain you feel. Staying active with back pain can help reduce the feeling of stiffness that often occurs due to joint swelling or tightening of muscles.
• Physical therapy for low back pain: Working with a physical therapist, it may be possible to reduce back pain caused by improper muscle movements and flexing. Staying active with back pain can help tighten core muscles and improve resistance.

Interventional and Surgical Treatments

Chronic pain, debilitating conditions, or conditions that do not improve benefit from more aggressive treatment. Back pain treatment options for more aggressive and chronic conditions aim to tackle the source of most back pain – nerve damage. Minimally invasive spine surgery for back pain includes:

• Spinal injections for back pain. This includes epidural spinal injections of steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This method typically offers short-term relief, and multiple injections may be necessary over time to balance pain. Nerve block injections are another option, which involve the use of an anesthetic and steroids placed into the specific nerve root causing pain.
• Radiofrequency ablation. Basivertebral nerve ablation treats chronic low back pain caused by vertebral endplate damage. It works by using radiofrequency to ablate, or destroy, the nerve in this area, blocking pain signals from reaching the brain. This treats vertebrogenic back pain, which typically includes low back pain causing tingling and numbness.
• Spinal cord stimulation for back pain. With spinal cord stimulation, treatment involves placing a device into the body near the spine that delivers low-level electrical impulses to the spinal cord at the site of the nerve pain. It stops or changes those pain signals, creating relief in serious and chronic conditions.

Regenerative and Emerging Back Pain Treatments

New back pain treatments continue to become available, creating new opportunities to provide relief for the ever-growing number of people struggling with chronic pain.

Consider what regenerative medicine for back pain can offer. With regenerative medicine, your body’s own cells promote healing by repairing the damage to tissues. Several options for how this happens.

With platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, doctors use your own blood to create concentrated platelet injections placed at the location of nerve damage. This encourages your immune system to go to work repairing the damage in those areas. PRP injections for back pain take time, but have fewer side effects than other treatments. Studies continue to show promise in the use of this technology.

Stem cell therapy for degenerative disc disease could be a game-changer. Stem cells are cells found in the bone marrow. These are working cells that can differentiate into other cells, allowing the production of healthy cells in an area of damaged tissue. With stem cell therapy, it’s possible to reduce inflammation and regenerate the lost tissue or cartilage causing pain.

Clinical Trials and Research

New back pain clinical trials and innovative devices continue to work to meet patient needs. Various back pain clinical trials are changing the way researchers look at the cause and healing of this pain. Here are a few key examples.

Efficacy and Safety of Rexlemestrocel-L Combined With HA* in Participants With Moderate to Severe Chronic Low Back Pain

This study, at the University of California San Francisco, focuses on the use of this treatment injected into the lumbar intervertebral discs to treat degenerative disc disease. It’s open to those 18 and older with moderate to severe low back pain.

HF10 Therapy Combined With CMM to CMM Alone in the Treatment of Nonsurgical Refractory Back Pain

This study, conducted at the Arizona Mayo Clinic location, aims to determine if the use of high-frequency SCS is beneficial to treat back pain in those with chronic refractory back pain who are not candidates for surgical procedures.

Back Pain Consortium Research Program

The NIH back pain research program is a translational, patient-centered initiative that aims to identify the most effective treatments for chronic low back pain. It looks at biomedical mechanisms with interdisciplinary methods. The program’s current clinical trial is a Biomarkers for Evaluating Spine Treatments(BEST) clinical trial that aims to look at the causes of back pain. The organization plans to launch other chronic low back pain research studies to continue to find solutions.

Finding Paid Back Pain Trials Near Me

If your back pain is a constant limitation to your day, it may be time to consider enrolling in back pain clinical trials. A variety of potential trials exist, and new ones become available often. You could be part of the effort to bring this growing problem under control for millions of people around the world.