Low back pain affects an estimated one in four American adults and is the leading contributor to disability globally. In most diagnosed cases, the pain is considered “nonspecific,” meaning it doesn’t have a clear cause. That’s also partly what makes it so hard to treat.

A new study suggests that only about 1 in 10 common non-surgical and non-invasive treatments for lower back pain are actually effective—and even then, the relief they provide is only slightly better than a placebo.

Only around 1 in 10 common non-surgical and non-invasive treatments for lower back pain is effective, suggests a pooled data analysis of the available research, published online in BMJ Evidence Based Medicine.

Key Takeaways Few therapies work to ease low back pain, evidence showsOnly 1 in 10 therapies provide any relief, and those are limited in their effectivenessResearchers also found five that do not work,

A new review of the evidence finds that only a handful of common remedies provide a modest benefit for acute or chronic back pain.

Low back pain is one of the most common medical complaints in the world. Globally, over 600 million people suffer from it. That means at any given moment, millions of people are searching for relief—visiting doctors,