University of Limerick research shows treatment offered to teens with back pain 'outdated'

NEW University of Limerick research has revealed that most treatments being offered to teenagers with persistent back pain are ‘outdated’ and ignore ‘big picture’ issues.

The study, carried out by researchers at University of Limerick along with colleagues in the UK and Australia, has shown that new approaches to tackling back pain are not being tested among teenagers.

The research, published in the European Journal of Pain, reveals that there is a lack of treatments addressing the needs of teenagers with persistent nonspecific back pain.

It shows specifically that treatments for adolescents with persistent back pain have primarily relied upon an outdated, biomechanical explanation of persisting pain. Rather, treatment should align with current recommendations that both mind and body be addressed when back pain is present.

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This more holistic understanding of back pain has led to a range of innovative treatments being offered to adults with low back pain, treatments which consider not just the back, but also the person’s overall health and well-being.

However, the scoping review carried out by the UL team, led by PhD researcher Sara D Hauber and Professor Kieran O’Sullivan of the School of Allied Health and the Health Research Institute at UL, has shown that these new approaches are not being tested among teenagers with back pain.

Instead, most treatments being offered to teenagers with back pain tend to ignore the ‘big picture’ issues such as sleep, mood, stress, and relationships.

“Traditional approaches such as exercise can play a useful role in helping teenagers with back pain,” explained PhD researcher Sara D Hauber.

“However, exercise alone is rarely enough, and we have good evidence that other factors can have a major impact on a person’s pain.”