“There is probably no other medical condition which is treated in so many different ways and by such a variety of practitioners as back pain.” – John Sarno. Chronic back pain is a pervasive and debilitating issue that affects millions of people around the globe. For many, it goes beyond just discomfort to crippling suffering on both physical and mental levels that can make life difficult in general. Though progress has been slow, there are some new discussions coming out of recent research findings that offer hope for those who have found themselves battling this type of chronic pain.
The BEST Trial's Hopeful Message for Back Pain Patients
Chronic back pain troubles many people. Often, it seems as if there is hardly any relief available to them, but there is new research going on that promises better results - The BEST trial. Led by Dr Daniel Clauw from the University of Michigan, along with a team specializing in pain treatment, they aim to find effective strategies that can be custom-fit for distinct individuals suffering from back pain. Around 800 patients will participate in this process. BEST stands for Biomarkers for Evaluating Spine Treatments. It's part of the BACPAC Research Program and is supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Skin Diseases through the NIH HEAL Initiative. The goal here is simple yet profound: Understand which treatment or combination works best depending on unique traits specific to patients. This bird’s eye perspective could benefit all chronic low back-pain sufferers across America. Their findings might link specific characteristics (known as biomarkers) with different treatments’ effectiveness levels thus helping doctors help patients better. If everything goes according to plan, every chronic lower-back pain patient may receive their tailored treatment, setting them up towards a recovery road.
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