Prevention of Back Pain

Ever had a pain in your back…?
You may be able to take part in new Aussie research

Up to 80% of Australian adults will experience back pain at some point in their life. Back pain can happen at any age, but it occurs more often in people over 35. While it’s possible to feel pain in any part of your back, the lower back is the most common.
Along with the discomfort and pain it causes, back pain is also expensive. It costs Australia around $9 billion every year, with $1 billion of this paying for the direct cost of treatment. Most of the money goes towards treating the people who have recurrent bouts of back pain. We know that at least 1 in 3 people who have had back pain before will have it again in the following year. Despite this, we have very little evidence on the best ways to prevent this painful condition.

Now recruiting for a new low back pain study

To fill this gap in knowledge, researchers at Macquarie University’s Physiotherapy Department are inviting the community to get involved in their new study. Known as the SAFE trial, this research will compare the effectiveness of two different approaches which aim to prevent recurrences of low back pain. By assessing how well different treatments work for people with a recent history of low back pain, this research will help unlock some answers to preventing this common concern.
What are the two treatment strategies?
One approach is delivered by a physiotherapist over the phone, and the other involves two face to face visits with a physiotherapist.

Who can take part?
People who have recovered from an episode of low back pain within the last 6 months, currently have little or no low back pain, and are available to participate in free-of-charge treatment interventions at one of several locations across Sydney.

What is involved for participants?
Participants are randomly assigned (like the flip of a coin) to receive one of the two treatment strategies. The researchers will then follow up with the participants over 12 months to check whether they have experienced back pain again.

The potential benefits of participating
By being a part of this research, people will receive free treatments designed to reduce their chance of experiencing another episode of back pain. They will also be providing researchers with essential information to help them better understand how to prevent low back pain.

How can I find out more?
To learn more about the trial or to get involved, please contact the SAFE research team on:

Mob: 0434 833 542
or
Email: safe.study@mq.edu.au.

SAFE Team:
A/Prof Mark Hancock, PhD (Chief investigator)
Prof Chris Maher, PhD
Mrs Helen Clare, PhD
Mr Tarcisio Folly de Campos, PhD candidate
Miss Natasha Pocovi, Research Assistant