Experience with minimal therapy of low back pain

A group of 20 patients suffering from repeated low back pain with radicular symptomatology in area L5 or S1 was followed-up during an acute attack, without use of some kind of analgetics or only in very reduced quantity. The protective function of pain and especially low back pain had been explained to the patients. The patients were instructed to engage in all movements which do not provoke pain, or if so, at an easily bearable level. They may have to walk with a scoliotic posture or to crawl. The average time of vertebrogenic pain attacks treated with analgetics lasted longer than the ones with minimal drug therapy.