Research into Back Pain that has Influenced the Riseflo App
Below is a list of scientific studies into the costs, causes, and solutions to back pain. Their insights can help you understand why the Riseflo product what created and why we emphasize moving a little bit every day.
1) Rising Healthcare Costs and Impact of Back Pain
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), estimates that from 1996 to 2016, U.S healthcare spending soared from $1.4 trillion to around $3 trillion. Back and neck pain combined accounted for $134 billion and was the costliest segment.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), in 2019 7.4% of adults had chronic pain that frequently limited life or work activities (referred to as high impact chronic pain) in the past 3 months.
2) Disc Abnormalities and their Relationship to Pain
A study into MRI scans found that 64% of people who had disc abnormalities did not experience any pain at all.
This could mean that surgery for Disc Abnormalities can be unnecessary.
3) The influence of thoughts and emotions on pain levels
A study of boundary effects in human pain perception by Hird featured on nature.com, found that participants showed differing reported pain levels depending on different thoughts or perceptions participants were having. In other words, placebo medications could work to suppress pain, and bee stings wouldn’t hurt as much if we didn’t stress so much about the incident.
Another study by Hashimi at Northwestern University found through brain observations that chronic pain shows increased activity in the emotion-related part of the brain, as opposed to the region where it processes acute pain (like when you stub your toe).
In other words - working on improving thoughts and emotions can accelerate recovery from back pain.
Riseflo has resources available to help you alleviate back pain through meditation, relaxation techniques, and yoga.
4) Habits
Studies from neuroscience and behavior change indicate that it takes anywhere from 18 days to 254 days for a person to form a new habit.
Positive habit change can have profound and lasting effects on leasing a healthy lifestyle - and it just takes some commitment out front.
5) Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and How it Can Help People with Back Pain
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a form of psychology that helps you accept the situation that you’re in so that you can move forward with your life and focus on the things you care about. ACT is effective at enhancing physical functioning and for decreasing distress associated with back pain.
Mindfulness and acceptance therapy can be effective at treating depression and anxiety associated with chronic pain. Study 1. Study 2.
6) The Importance of Exercise with Back Pain
One study found that exercise alone is an effective treatment for chronic lower back pain.
It is important to find exercises one can do daily without making the pain worse.
7) The Importance of Finding a Routine You can Manage on Your Own
Self-Managing, or finding exercises that relieve your symptoms and you can do daily, is one of the most effective ways to combat back pain long term.
