Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Daniel Lewkowicz, Attila M. Wohlbrandt, Erwin Bottinger
Summary: This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of a digital therapeutic care app compared to treatment as usual (TAU) in Germany. The results show that the app is cost-effective and leads to more quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) compared to TAU. The attrition rate and the app's effect on prolonged behavior change are important factors for determining the appropriate reimbursement rate.
JMIR MHEALTH AND UHEALTH
(2022)
Review
Anesthesiology
James A. Hall, Sue Jowett, Martyn Lewis, Raymond Oppong, Kika Konstantinou
Summary: The study establishes a decision model for stratified care in managing low back pain, showing cost-effectiveness over a 10-year period with additional quality-adjusted life years and cost savings per patient. Sensitivity analyses suggest the approach is likely to be cost-effective in all scenarios and cost saving in most.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Byron J. Schneider, Christine Hunt, Aaron Conger, Wenchun Qu, Timothy P. Maus, Yakov Vorobeychik, Jianguo Cheng, Belinda Duszynski, Zachary L. McCormick
Summary: Intradiscal biologics, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or stem cells (SC), are theorized to have regenerative properties and have gained interest as a possible treatment for discogenic low back pain. However, the evidence supporting their use in clinical practice is not well-defined.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Francis Fatoye, Tadesse Gebrye, Chidozie Emmanuel Mbada, Ushotanefe Useh
Summary: This study aimed to synthesize the clinical and economic burden of low back pain (LBP) in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). A systematic review of 9 studies revealed significantly high rates of hospitalization and costs associated with LBP. It is recommended that appropriate measures be taken in LMICs to reduce the clinical and economic burden of LBP.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Cathriona Murphy, Helen French, Geraldine McCarthy, Caitriona Cunningham
Summary: This systematic review examines the evidence for clinical pathways for low back pain and/or radicular leg pain. The research found that interface services were commonly used to improve efficiency of care delivery, but there is a lack of high-quality studies and comparative data to determine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of these pathways.
EUROPEAN SPINE JOURNAL
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Edilson Silva Machado, Fabiano Pasqualotto Soares, Ernani Vianna de Abreu, Tais Amara da Costa de Souza, Robert Meves, Hans Grohs, Mary A. Ambach, Annu Navani, Renato Bevillaqua de Castro, Daniel Humberto Pozza, Jose Manuel Peixoto Caldas
Summary: This systematic review evaluated the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections in managing low back pain. The analysis of 13 randomized clinical trials and 27 nonrandomized trials or case series showed that PRP was generally effective and safe for degenerative low back pain. Positive results were found in almost all studies, although there were some biases in the research. Large-scale, multicenter randomized clinical trials are still needed to confirm these findings.
Review
Orthopedics
Lu Hsi Chen, Kirsten Weber, Saba Mehrabkhani, Sarmina Baskaran, Thomas Abbass, Luciana Gazzi Macedo
Summary: This systematic review found very low-quality evidence that weight loss programs may improve back pain, disability, and quality of life for patients with low back pain, although adherence and maintenance may be barriers to implementation.
BMC MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Daniel L. Belavy, Ashish D. Diwan, Jon Ford, Clint T. Miller, Andrew J. Hahne, Niamh Mundell, Scott Tagliaferri, Steven Bowe, Hugo Pedder, Tobias Saueressig, Xiaohui Zhao, Xiaolong Chen, Arun Prasad Balasundaram, Nitin Kumar Arora, Patrick J. Owen
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of various treatments for chronic low back pain disorders (CLBDs) in patients, including acupuncture, education, exercise, pharmacotherapy, and more. The research includes network meta-analysis to assess the relative effectiveness of these treatments.
Review
Rehabilitation
Arnela Suman, Susan Armijo-Olivo, Sameer Deshpande, Janelle Marietta-Vasquez, Liz Dennett, Maxi Miciak, Michiel Reneman, Erik L. Werner, Sebastian Straube, Rachelle Buchbinder, Douglas P. Gross
Summary: Mass media campaigns for the management of low back pain are effective in improving beliefs of the general public and healthcare providers, but their impact on behavioral outcomes like disability behavior and health utilization appears to vary depending on campaign characteristics and local context.
DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Susana Tinoco Duarte, Carla Nunes, Daniela Costa, Helena Donato, Eduardo B. Cruz
Summary: Low back pain is a common musculoskeletal condition that causes high healthcare costs. Models of care are considered effective solutions to address this issue. This scoping review aims to summarize the existing evidence on the implementation of models of care for low back pain in primary healthcare.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Gloria Gonzalez-Medina, Veronica Perez-Cabezas, Carmen Ruiz-Molinero, Gema Chamorro-Moriana, Jose Jesus Jimenez-Rejano, Alejandro Galan-Mercant
Summary: The meta-analysis demonstrated that global postural re-education (GPR) program is effective in reducing pain and improving function in patients with persistent chronic low back pain, with strong evidence support.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Anesthesiology
Rob H. W. Strijkers, Marco Schreijenberg, Heike Gerger, Bart W. Koes, Alessandro Chiarotto
Summary: This systematic review found that placebo interventions were more effective than no intervention at short-term follow-up in patients with chronic LBP, but the effects were likely not clinically relevant. Future research should focus on identifying effect modifiers and causal mechanisms explaining the short-term effects of placebo interventions in patients with chronic LBP.
Review
Rehabilitation
Antonino Patti, Jane S. Thornton, Valerio Giustino, Patrik Drid, Antonio Paoli, Jenna M. Schulz, Antonio Palma, Antonino Bianco
Summary: This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the effectiveness of Pilates exercise on pain intensity and functional disability caused by low back pain. The results showed that Pilates exercise can decrease low back pain and should be considered as an effective strategy by general practitioners.
DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION
(2023)
Review
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Elizabeth Martin, Bassel Ayoub, Yvette D. Miller
Summary: This systematic review aimed to identify the extent of cost-effectiveness evidence available for evaluating alternative Maternity Models of Care (MMC) and provide a narrative summary. The findings suggest weak evidence that midwife and doula models of care may be a cost-effective or cost-saving alternative to standard care. However, the poor quality of evidence, lack of standardized MMC classifications, and limited research in this area hinder conclusive evaluation.
BMC PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH
(2023)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Andreia Costa, C. Joana Sousa, Paulo Rosario Carvalho Seabra, Ana Virgolino, Osvaldo Santos, Joaquim Lopes, Adriana Henriques, Paulo Nogueira, Violeta Alarcao
Summary: Social prescribing is an approach that promotes non-clinical activities through referrals by primary health-care professionals. This study aimed to identify domains of intervention and effectiveness of social prescribing programs, but found limited evidence on health-related outcomes. Further research is needed to understand how social prescribing can be efficiently applied.
Review
Mathematical & Computational Biology
Anita Natalia Varga, Alejandra Elizabeth Guevara Morel, Joran Lokkerbol, Johanna Maria van Dongen, Maurits Willem van Tulder, Judith Ekkina Bosmans
Summary: The aim of this article is to review the methods available for dealing with confounding in analyzing the effect of health care treatments with single-point exposure in observational data. The results show that there are significant differences in performance between different methods, and the performance of a specific method is highly dependent on the estimator used.
STATISTICS IN MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Stina Lilje, Maurits van Tulder, Anders Wykman, Emmanuel Aboagye, Ulf Persson
Summary: Physiotherapy is the first-line treatment for musculoskeletal disorders, but some disorders cannot be treated by orthopaedic care. Specialised manual therapy can be an effective alternative, but its cost-effectiveness is unknown beyond 12 months. This study found that after 8 years, specialised manual therapy was more cost-effective than standard orthopaedic care. Rating: 8/10.
THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES IN MUSCULOSKELETAL DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Surgery
Christopher G. Maher, Aline Archambeau, Rachelle Buchbinder, Simon D. French, Julia Morphet, Michael K. Nicholas, Peter O'Sullivan, Marie Pirotta, Michael J. Yelland, Leo Zeller, Nivene Saad, Elizabeth Marles, Alice L. Bhasale, Christina Lane
ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Emergency Medicine
Christopher G. Maher, Aline Archambeau, Rachelle Buchbinder, Simon D. French, Julie Morphet, Michael K. Nicholas, Peter O'Sullivan, Marie Pirotta, Michael J. Yelland, Leo Zeller, Nivene Saad, Elizabeth Marles, Alice L. Bhasale, Christina Lane
EMERGENCY MEDICINE AUSTRALASIA
(2023)
Article
Emergency Medicine
Qiuzhe Chen, Chris G. Maher, Eileen Rogan, Gustavo Machado
Summary: This study compared care delivery for low back pain in Australian EDs between culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and non-CALD patients. The results showed that CALD patients were more likely to receive imaging and be admitted. The quality of care for low back pain in CALD patients needs special attention and improvement.
EMERGENCY MEDICINE JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Emergency Medicine
Caitlin M. P. Jones, Danielle Coombs, Chung-Wei Christine Lin, Adrian Traeger, Qiang Li, Christina Abdel Shaheed, Sweekriti Sharma, Chris G. Maher, Gustavo C. Machado
EMERGENCY MEDICINE JOURNAL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Christopher G. Maher, Aline Archambeau, Rachelle Buchbinder, Simon D. French, Julia Morphet, Michael J. Yelland, Peter O'Sullivan, Marie Pirotta, Michael J. Yelland, Leo Zeller, Nivene Saad, Elizabeth Marles, Alice L. Bhasale, Christina Lane
INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Christopher G. Maher, Aline Archambeau, Rachelle Buchbinder, Simon D. French, Julie Morphet, Michael K. Nicholas, Peter O'Sullivan, Marie Pirotta, Michael J. Yelland, Leo Zeller, Nivene Saad, Elizabeth Marles, Alice L. Bhasale, Christina Lane
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL IMAGING AND RADIATION ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Orthopedics
Natasha C. Pocovi, Julie Ayre, Simon D. French, Chung-Wei Christine Lin, Anne Tiedemann, Christopher G. Maher, Dafna Merom, Kirsten McCaffrey, Mark J. Hancock
Summary: This study investigated the motivations for individuals to start a walking program for the prevention of low back pain, as well as strategies to optimize both short-term and long-term adherence to the program. The findings revealed that strong motivators, safety, and enjoyment of exercise were crucial factors for participants to adhere to the walking program.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOTHERAPY
(2023)
Review
Orthopedics
Christopher S. Han, Christopher G. Maher, Daniel Steffens, Ashish Diwan, John Magnussen, Emma C. Hancock, Mark J. Hancock
Summary: This review investigates whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings predict future low back pain (LBP), associated disability and global recovery in people with current LBP. The results suggest that some MRI findings may have weak associations with future LBP, but larger high-quality studies are needed to resolve uncertainty.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOTHERAPY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Orthopedics
Christina Abdel Shaheed, Stephanie Mathieson, Ross Wilson, Ann-Mason Furmage, Christopher G. Maher
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jan F. L. Gan, Marnee J. McKay, Caitlin M. P. Jones, Ian A. Harris, Kirsten McCaffery, Rachel Thompson, Tammy C. Hoffmann, Sam Adie, Christopher G. Maher, Joshua R. Zadro
Summary: This study developed a patient decision aid to portray the benefits and harms of non-surgical management and surgery for Achilles tendon ruptures, and conducted user-testing. The results showed that the decision aid was acceptable to both patients and health professionals. However, there were differing views among health professionals on details such as Achilles tendon retraction distance, factors modifying harm risks, treatment protocols, and evidence on benefits and harms.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Alla Melman, Harrison J. Lord, Danielle Coombs, Joshua Zadro, Christopher G. Maher, Gustavo C. Machado
Summary: This is the first systematic review with meta-analysis summarizing the global prevalence of hospital admissions and hospital length of stay for low back pain. The study found high heterogeneity in admission rates from the emergency department, with a median percentage of all hospital admissions due to low back pain being 0.9%. The median hospital length of stay for low back pain was 6.2 days. The overall quality of evidence was moderate.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Joshua R. Zadro, Zoe A. Michaleff, Mary O'Keeffe, Giovanni E. Ferreira, Adrian C. Traeger, Andrew R. Gamble, Frederick Afeaki, Yaozhuo Li, Erya Wen, Jiawen Yao, Kejie Zhu, Richard Page, Ian A. Harris, Christopher G. Maher
Summary: The study analyzed the qualitative data collected from a randomized experiment to explore how people perceive different advice for rotator cuff disease. It found that guideline-based advice evoked feelings of reassurance and trust in expertise, while treatment recommendation evoked feelings of needing treatment and psychological distress.
Article
Psychiatry
Florine Sanna Walburg, Berno van Meijel, Trynke Hoekstra, Jelle Kol, Laura Michelle Pape, Johanna Willemina de Joode, Maurits van Tulder, Marcel Adriaanse
Summary: People with severe mental illness have a significantly reduced life expectancy due to cardiometabolic disorders. Lifestyle interventions can improve health and reduce cardiometabolic risk in this population.