Ontario, Canada - A new study shows that Naturopathic medicine offers real help for patients with chronic low back pain. The study was done at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario.
Researchers performed a randomized clinical trial on 75 postal employees with low back pain of longer than six weeks. The group was divided in two. 39 received Naturopathic care, 36 got standardized physiotherapy over a period of 12 weeks.
Ontario, Canada - A new study shows that Naturopathic medicine offers real help for patients with chronic low back pain. The study was done at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario.
Researchers performed a randomized clinical trial on 75 postal employees with low back pain of longer than six weeks. The group was divided in two. 39 received Naturopathic care, 36 got standardized physiotherapy over a period of 12 weeks.
The study was conducted in clinics on-site in postal offices. Participants in the Naturopathic care group received dietary counseling, deep breathing relaxation techniques and acupuncture. The control intervention received education and instruction on physiotherapy exercises using an approved education booklet. Scientists measured low back pain using a standard questionnaires for quality of life and low back range of motion, weight loss, and Body Mass Index.
92% of the whole group completed eight weeks or greater of the trial. Patients using Naturopathic care reported significantly lower back pain and improved quality of life in all domains except for vitality.
Chronic low back pain represents a substantial cost to employers through benefits coverage and days missed due to incapacity. We sought to explore the effectiveness of Naturopathic care on chronic low back pain.
