When psychologists first began developing interventions for chronic back pain sufferers, the goal was to help patients learn to live with their pain and still lead productive lives. But new evidence indicates that psychological intervention actually reduces pain for these patients.

In a review appearing in the January issue of Health Psychology lead author Robert Kerns, Phd.D. of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System details the benefits of psychological interventions in the treatment of patients with chronic back pain.

Although rehabilitation programs that include a psychological component can be more effective than costly surgical interventions, health insurers are less willing to pay for them.

“We need to specifically target health care system administrators and third-party payers to try to engage them in a more productive dialogue about the importance of these interventions,” Kerns said. “We continue to have a huge, very costly problem in our society, but we have an intervention that is effective, and we need to do a better job of creating access to these services.”

80% of all Americans have back pain at some time in their lives. 15% or more suffer from chronic back pain. Overdoing even everyday activities can cause a flare up of back pain as our backs age with us and many times doctors cannot pinpoint the exact cause of some back pain. Lifting, shoveling, accidents or falls can cause strains and injuries leading to an aching back.

As with everything, the best course is preventative. Get regular exercise and maintain a healthy diet. Learn proper body mechanics and use them. Following these guidelines will lower your risk of developing chronic back pain or injury. But when you have pain, there are things you can do to alleviate it.

AARP has some tips for preventing back pain and relieving the symptoms when they occur as well as deciding when self-care isn’t enough and you should seek a medical opinion.

Link to the AARP page on back pain