ABC News
Medical researchers
in Nottingham have found that giving x-rays to people with lower
back pain can appear to worsen the outcome.
The British
Medical Journal reports that sufferers who had been given radiography
felt more pain for longer and suggests that expectations about
medical treatment have a lot to do with patient experience.
The study
tracked two groups of patients - 421 in all - who had had lower
back pain for over six weeks. One group was given radiography,
the other was not.
Researchers
found that after three months, patients who had initially received
the radiography did not receive any clinical benefit. Indeed they
reported having more pain for longer, reduced functioning and
overall poorer heath status.
In current
medical practice, most doctors routinely send patients who have
suffered from lower back pain to have radiography. This is partly
to reassure themselves, but also to reassure the patient.
However some
practioners prefer clinical rather than radiological findings
for diagnosis and treatment.
The group
not given radiography also reported being more satisfied with
the care they received. The authors suggest radiography reinforces
or encourages the patient’s belief that they are unwell and
may lead to a greater reporting of pain and limitation of actvities.
The authors
said their study shows that radiography should not be given to
patients suffering lower back pain unless serious spinal disease
is suspected.
Australian
Physiotherapy Association spokesperson Trudy Rebbeck said the
results were not surprising. "It’s quite possible that
having an x-ray can encourage a patient to feel more unwell."
she said.
|
