Stress and backpain

There is some hope for people suffering from backache who spend exorbitant sums on surgeries.

There is some hope for people suffering from backache who spend exorbitant sums on costly surgeries.

A research conducted by The Stanford University School of Medicine has found that psychological distress may be the root cause of backache.

The researchers found that patients with poor coping skills - as measured by psychological testing - or with chronic pain were nearly three times more likely to develop back pain compared to those with neither.

A history of disputed workers' compensation claims also predicted future back pain. Meanwhile, a crack in the disc or a "high- intensity zone" seen on MRI was weakly associated with back pain, but the result was not statistically significant. "The structural problems were really overwhelmed by the psychosocial factors," Carragee said.

Some insurance companies and state workers' compensation funds are already balking at paying for surgery to treat nonspecific back pain associated with psychosocial problems, he noted.
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"The question is, can we better identify groups that have a greater chance of being helped by surgery?" Carragee said.

It may be more appropriate to treat other patients by helping them cope with the pain and strengthening their backs, he further suggested.