Outside the Box Ideas

Are common treatments for low back pain - more MRIs, strong pain medication, injection therapy and surgery working? And if they are, why has the number of LBP sufferers remained stagnant? Is it because LBP care is becoming progressively discordant with clinical guidelines? Is there more to LBP than meets the eye? 

This course will critically reassess LBP and consider other factors that could be influencing your patients’ LBP – and give you tools to approach LBP differently.

The theory of myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) caused by trigger points (TrPs) has long been accepted by many practitioners who work hard to treat this condition. 

However, the authors of this article maintain that there is no scientific basis for this diagnosis. So what now? What if patients present with the clinical phenomena associated with MPS and TrPs? 

This paper looks at all the evidence relating to the subject and offers plausible explanations and considerations for the treatment of MPS patients.

The principle of core stability has gained wide acceptance for the prevention of injury in training and as a treatment modality for rehabilitation of various musculoskeletal conditions, in particular of the lower back. There has been surprisingly little criticism of this approach to date.  

This article re-examines the original findings and the principles of core stability/spinal stabilisation approaches and how well they fare within the wider knowledge of motor control, prevention of injury and rehabilitation of neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems following injury.

Management of chronic low back pain and leg pain requires a multifactorial approach. Low back pain can be difficult to treat as the clinician not only has to identify the underlying causative factors to restore homeostasis to the system, but also has to ensure that the treatment does not unnecessarily exacerbate the symptoms. 

The aim of treatment is to increase the active control of the passively unstable and associated areas so that the patient can operate within an increased envelope of function, and with minimised symptom recurrences. The training must be simple, requiring minimal equipment so that it is readily accessible to the individual and can be practised frequently. As chronic problems are never cured, only managed, therapists and patients must manage the symptoms over the long term.