What does improve mean?

An example of a 30% reduction in pain scores is a decrease from 6 to 4 on a 10 point pain scale

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

What do the faces mean?

Improve with treatment
Improve with control
Do not improve

Exercise

28%
40%
32%
More Info

Oral NSAIDs

(eg. Naproxen or Celecoxib)
18%
40%
42%
More Info

Spinal Manipulation

15%
40%
45%
More Info

SNRI

(Only Duloxetine Studied)
10%
40%
50%
More Info

Corticosteroid Injections

0%
40%
40%
More Info

Acupuncture*

Opioids*

Rubefacients*

(Capsaicin)

Inadequate responder data for: acetaminophen, cannabinoids, Muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and topical NSAIDs.

Looking for further details?

Low Back Pain

Why doesn’t this calculator cover all treatment options available?

This online calculator does not cover all treatment options available for low back pain. We only included the medication treatments that had the highest quality evidence. A healthcare provider may consider other options not listed in this calculator to manage symptoms, depending on specific needs.

Where can I find the evidence used to create this calculator?

The data used for this calculator can be found within the Chronic Back Pain Systematic Review

Additional tools created with this data can be found at Chronic Low Back Pain Decision Aid