Living Well with Back Pain

Why Self-Care Is a Cornerstone of Treatment

Every major clinical guideline — the American College of Physicians (ACP), the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and other international bodies — places self-management at the foundation of chronic low back pain treatment.

Why?

• Medications and injections tend to provide limited, temporary relief
• Time with healthcare providers is limited
• You are the only person who manages your body 24 hours a day
• Having a sense of control over your pain has itself been linked to reduced pain levels

A large Cochrane review (Hayden 2021, 249 trials) found that combining exercise with self-management strategies is effective for chronic low back pain.