Suffering from lower back pain? Take rest instead of medication, study states
| Apr 11, 2019, 11:21 IST
In today's fast-paced world if there's one thing we all want, it's to get results as soon as possible. The easiest way seems to be the ultimate solution. This is why most of us choose to pop painkillers when we suffer from some form of body ache instead of opting for the appropriate amount of rest, because who has the time for that right? But now, a study has found that taking the appropriate amount of rest can actually be just as effective as opting for medication when it comes to common musculoskeletal disorders like carpal tunnel syndrome and low back pain.
A study was conducted on rats which proved that a four-week period of rest did almost as well as experimental drugs that could be used to reduce the pain and help recovery. "Rest appears to be a good first treatment choice," said Amanda White, a postdoctoral fellow at Temple University in the US. "Other treatments following rest should include exercises to improve tissues, and pain reducers if needed. If symptoms do not subside and strength does not return following this approach, then pharmacological treatments may be needed to aid recovery," she added in a statement.
For the study, the rats were made to pull levers in order to create the type of strain injuries most humans experience from constant work. After a period of 12 weeks, these results started to show as the rats displayed discomfort, weaker grip and increased collagen production in their forearms, all of which are signs of tissue damage due to strain. These rats were then allowed to relax for a period of four weeks after which it was observed that they started doing much better. One group of rats was also subjected to a pain-blocking neurotransmitter.
"We found that the four-week rest treatment reduced collagen production, improved strength and decreased discomfort," White said. "The drug blocking Substance P signaling also had similar effects, and was somewhat better at improving grip strength, but at the same time made the animals less sensitive to very hot temperatures, which is concerning. This led us to conclude that rest may be the better treatment," she said.
However, it was also found that resting was not always sufficient to properly recover from strain-induced injuries. In previous studies, after the rats were given painkillers, they were put back to work and it was observed that the painkillers merely helped mask the pain which is why when the rats started working again the tissue damage they suffered from got worse. So, now scientists are hoping to develop better drugs that will not only get rid of the pain but will also help tissues in the body recover. Stay tuned for more updates.
A study was conducted on rats which proved that a four-week period of rest did almost as well as experimental drugs that could be used to reduce the pain and help recovery. "Rest appears to be a good first treatment choice," said Amanda White, a postdoctoral fellow at Temple University in the US. "Other treatments following rest should include exercises to improve tissues, and pain reducers if needed. If symptoms do not subside and strength does not return following this approach, then pharmacological treatments may be needed to aid recovery," she added in a statement.
For the study, the rats were made to pull levers in order to create the type of strain injuries most humans experience from constant work. After a period of 12 weeks, these results started to show as the rats displayed discomfort, weaker grip and increased collagen production in their forearms, all of which are signs of tissue damage due to strain. These rats were then allowed to relax for a period of four weeks after which it was observed that they started doing much better. One group of rats was also subjected to a pain-blocking neurotransmitter.
"We found that the four-week rest treatment reduced collagen production, improved strength and decreased discomfort," White said. "The drug blocking Substance P signaling also had similar effects, and was somewhat better at improving grip strength, but at the same time made the animals less sensitive to very hot temperatures, which is concerning. This led us to conclude that rest may be the better treatment," she said.
However, it was also found that resting was not always sufficient to properly recover from strain-induced injuries. In previous studies, after the rats were given painkillers, they were put back to work and it was observed that the painkillers merely helped mask the pain which is why when the rats started working again the tissue damage they suffered from got worse. So, now scientists are hoping to develop better drugs that will not only get rid of the pain but will also help tissues in the body recover. Stay tuned for more updates.