It seems we’ve done all we can do for providing relief for our chronic back pain: stretching every day, eating the right foods, utilizing treatment plans directed by our pain doctor. Research says that 80% of Americans will suffer from some sort of back pain some time in their lives. With the statistic so high, and more Americans falling into this epidemic, investigators are researching alternative treatments to surgery for chronic back pain sufferers. A recent study suggests that 40% of chronic lower back pain can be attributed to a bacterial infection. Furthermore, the infection can be treated by taking an antibiotic. At Southwest Spine and Pain Center, the physicians and experienced medical staff is incessantly researching and developing effective treatment plans based on studies and positive patient outcomes.
Conducted by the Research Department of the Spine Center of Southern Denmark, University of Southern Denmark, Hanne D. Albert, PhD, and his team of researchers say that antibiotics could be a treatment option for some lower back pain patients. This conclusion was determined by their extensive study on patients who have chronic back pain. The research was broken into two studies:
The first was comprised of 61 adults, with an average age of 67 years old (27% female) who all had lumbar disc herniation, had no history with epidural steroid injections, and had no previous surgeries. The researches collected 5 tissue samples and found traces of bacteria in every single culture taken (43% of patients were positive for anaerobic bacteria, and 46% positive for microbiological bacteria, 7% had double microbial infections).
The second involved 144 adults who were diagnosed with lower back pain and a herniated disc for more than 6 months. The researchers administered amoxicillin-clavulante (500mg/12mg; Bioclavid) or an identical placebo randomly, three times a day for 100 days. The participants were evaluated at the end of their treatment, and after one year. At the end of the trial, the group who received antibiotics improved on all measures (scored on Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire and lumbar pain). Their improvements continued to climb all the way to their one-year evaluation.
For scoring lower back pain, 67.5% of patients in the antibiotic group reported pain at the one year follow-up, while 94.0% of patients in the placebo group reported pain (P=.0001 for difference). Chronic pain reduced 54% in the antibiotic group and 5.9% in the placebo group.
Peter Hamlyn, a neurological and spinal surgeon at University College of London hospital says that the results of the study are “vast”. He proclaims that “about probably half of all spinal surgery for back pain [could be] replaced by taking antibiotics.” At the end of the study Dr. Hanne Albert explained that not all patients with lower back pain would benefit from antibiotics, but patients with chronic back pain would.
For more information on research and development regarding chronic back pain speak with a physician and continue to inquire. Southwest Spine and Pain Center yearns to serve every patient with the most current and effective treatment option.
If chronic pain is impacting your life, don't wait to schedule an appointment at Southwest Spine and Pain Center. With three locations and growing, the pain management specialists at Southwest Spine and Pain Center are dedicated to helping those who suffer from chronic pain live the life they want to! To schedule an appointment, visit our locations tab!
The advice and information contained in this article is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to replace or counter a physician’s advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.
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