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.

NINE out of ten treatments for short-term back pain are no good, researchers have found. Anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen and aspirin, were the only thing proven to be of any use. Steroid