Authors
Dr. Sasikumar, MBBS, MD, DPMR, DNB, D-Med-Rehab (UK), Consultant, Physical Medicine, Kumar Centre for Back and Neck Pain, Thammanam, Kochi-682032.
Abstract
Background: Low back and neck pain afflict a high percentage of individuals, being a leading cause of absenteeism and chronic disability. With only a small fraction requiring surgical intervention, there is a critical need to explore and implement newer, effective conservative management strategies to address this widespread issue.
Methods: This article provides an overview of current trends and recent advancements in the conservative physical medicine approach to low back and neck pain. It details and contrasts conventional pharmacological and physical therapy methods with innovative modalities, specifically focusing on developments in spinal decompression, advanced electrotherapy, therapeutic laser applications, and modern rehabilitation exercises.
Results: Significant progress has been observed across various treatment domains. Pharmacological options now include anti-epilepticals, new generation muscle relaxants, and potent analgesics. In physical medicine, conventional traction has evolved into sophisticated vertebral axial decompression techniques (e.g., VAX-D, IDD therapy), offering targeted distraction and creation of negative intradiscal pressure for disc recession and re-hydration. Electrotherapy has advanced to programmable, wide-frequency electroceutical currents, proving effective for deep-seated pain conditions like radiculopathies. Both low-intensity (Class III) and recently FDA-approved high-intensity (Class IV) lasers are utilized for their benefits in tissue repair, angiogenesis, inflammation reduction, and pain relief. Additionally, gym ball exercises are highlighted for their superiority in enhancing proprioception and core strength.
Conclusion: Modern trends in physical medicine offer advanced, non-invasive alternatives for the conservative management of low back and neck pain. These innovations, spanning pharmaceutical, mechanical, electrical, light-based, and exercise therapies, collectively aim to enhance patient comfort, more effectively target pain mechanisms, and achieve sustained relief, thereby mitigating the burden of chronic pain.