People suffering from lower back pain due to degenerative disc disease could soon be treated with gel, applied directly to their intervertebral discs.
- To avoid back pain as much as possible, you have to pay attention to your postures on a daily basis, especially during physical activity.
- Health Insurance has developed a free application, Activ’Dos, with several exercises and stretches.
Four out of five people will suffer from low back pain in their lifetime, according to health insurance. The latter can be defined as pain in the lower part of the spine, more or less strong depending on the patients and the times. In most cases, health professionals recommend that all patients who suffer from it, and more generally those who have back problems, play sports to prevent this pain.
Once the pain is present, it should not be idle either. If possible, it is advisable to walk and do some stretching exercises. But if the pain is too intense, especially for people whose problem is chronic, doctors generally prescribe anti-inflammatory or analgesic drugs to reduce the pain.
A gel that is applied directly to the intervertebral discs via a simple injection
But doctors may soon have a new solution to offer their patients: a gel! Indeed, American researchers have developed a product called “Hydrafil”, which is applied directly to the intervertebral discs via an injection. These are located between each vertebra of the spine and act as shock absorbers. According to the results of the first clinical trials, this gel would significantly reduce lower back pain. These findings were presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology 2022 Congress.
To test the effectiveness of Hydrafil, the scientists administered it to twenty patients between the ages of 22 and 69. All suffered from lower back pain related to degenerative disc disease. This is a progressive deterioration of the intervertebral discs which causes severe pain, especially in the lower back. Prior to the Hydrafil injection, participants rated their pain as at least a four on a scale of ten, with an average of 7.1. Finally, they all felt that the usual treatments brought them only a “light relief”.
Gel seals cracks and tears
During the injection, the patients were asleep. The gel was heated by the researchers before being applied, with a large needle, to the affected intervertebral discs. Results: All cracks and tears were sealed with the product. “We don’t really have any good treatments for degenerative disc disease, other than current care, explains Douglas P. Beall, one of the principal researchers in a statement. Surgery is statistically no more effective than usual care and can potentially make things worse, (…) existing hydrogels are injected through an incision” while this new frost “requires no incisions and it augments the entire disc, restoring its structural integrity, which nothing we currently have can do”.
Improved quality of life
Six months after treatment with Hydrafil, the patients all reported a significant reduction in their pain. Indeed, it went from an average of 7.1 to 2 on a scale of 10. Another improvement: less discomfort due to pain in daily life and therefore a better quality of life. “If these results are confirmed by further research, this procedure could be a very promising treatment for chronic low back pain for those who are not relieved by existing treatments. The gel is easy to administer and requires no open surgery,” concludes Douglas P. Beall.
