Bend with your knees, not with your… OUCH!
By Rachel Atchley, PhD, MCR, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Utah College of Social Work
Despite all the warnings, at some point, we’ve all lifted something heavy—using our backs instead of our legs—in a twisted, jerking motion. Our bodies will pay for it for a few days. But for many, that sort of debilitating pain is an everyday occurrence with no end in sight. Chronic pain is one of the leading causes of disability and reduced quality of life in the U.S., affecting over 100 million Americans and costing nearly $600 billion annually, according to a 2017 report by the Health and Medicine Division of the National Academies.
Existing treatment options for chronic pain are insufficient, and as a result, 5 to 8 million people with chronic pain are treated with opioids, as stated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2017. Chronic lower back pain in particular is the number one non-cancerous pain for which opioids are prescribed. Current evidence for the long-term effectiveness of opioids is lacking, and there is considerable growing concern about side effects such as worsened mental health, potential for addiction, and accidental overdose. Many people taking opioids for chronic pain also report that their pain and ability to carry out daily activities are not sufficiently improved.
So, what are these individuals to do?
Researchers at the University of Utah are currently exploring two Strategies to Assist with Management of Pain (STAMP). The goal of the STAMP study is to offer people with opioid-treated chronic lower back pain one of two safe, non-medication supplementary treatments: Mindfulness Meditation (MM) or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), both of which have been tailored specifically for patients with chronic back pain. Participants in the STAMP study are trained in these techniques while continuing with their usual medical care. Both MM and CBT have strong research support for the treatment of chronic pain. The goal of the study is to find out which treatment is most beneficial to patients for long-term pain management.
Social workers and other clinicians who are interested in this study for their patients with opioid-treated chronic lower back pain can learn about this study at www.stampstudy.org. With this research, we hope to pave the way for more readily available treatment options to safely reduce the suffering of people experiencing chronic lower back pain.
The views and opinions expressed on the interACTION blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Utah or the College of Social Work.