How is chronic lower back pain treated?
There is no simple or singular answer—especially in light of the fact that a large portion of back pain sufferers do not have a clearly identifiable source.
Emphasis should be on improving function by way of physiotherapy and reconditioning measures.
For nonspecific back pain the efficacy of interventional measures such as steroid injections is questionable.
Opioid analgesics in this type of pain should be considered with extreme caution only.
For osteoarthritic patients with pain correlating well with observed pathology, facet blocks or radiofrequency rhizotomy are reasonable approaches.
Herniated disc and radicular pain may be treated with either epidural steroid injection or transforaminal root injections.
