Osteopathy does help chronic lower back pain

New research has highlighted the benefits of osteopathy for people with chronic lower back pain.

US researchers from the Health Science Centre in the University of Texas assessed 455 people who visited the centre for back pain. One group had six sessions of osteopathy over 12 weeks and another group received ultrasound.

Those who received ultrasound therapy experienced little improvement in their chronic lower back pain. But almost two-thirds of the osteopathy group had 30% improvement in pain (and 50% had 50% less pain) and reduced use of prescription painkillers.

“Our research offers hope in the form of a hands-on treatment that provides moderate to substantial improvement in pain, and that reduces the use of prescription medication,” says study author Dr John Licciardone in the Annals of Family Medicine. “Not only does osteopathy reduce pain, it seems to work even better in people who experience higher pain levels.”