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EMBARGO DATE: DECEMBER 1, 2001

Media Campaign Helps Change Ideas About Back Pain

PHILADELPHIA, PA December 1, 2001 - A mass-media public education campaign is effective in correcting common misconceptions about back pain and its treatment, among doctors as well as the public, according to a Australian study in the December 1 issue of the journal Spine.

Led by Dr. Rachelle Buchbinder of Monash University, Victoria, the researchers evaluated the impact of a multimedia campaign designed to encourage people with back pain to stay active and to avoid unnecessary diagnostic tests and treatment. The campaign consisted of television commercials and other media messages, which appeared in Victoria during 1997-98.

Follow-up surveys documented significant changes in public opinion--with an increase in the percentage of people with accurate beliefs about back pain and how to handle it. By comparison, surveys in neighboring New South Wales--where the campaign did not run--found no change in beliefs about back pain.

Research has found that patients with back pain do better if they remain active and stay on the job, rather than resting and taking time off. The media campaign emphasized this message, along with the importance of keeping the spine strong and avoiding unnecessary medical tests and treatments, especially surgery.

The media campaign even appeared to reach the doctors who care for patients with back pain. A survey of primary care physicians in Victoria showed significant improvements in beliefs about how to manage back pain.

In Australia as in other industrialized countries, disability from low back pain is a very common and expensive problem. Research has shown that patients' attitudes and beliefs have an important impact on disability from back pain, even more so than physical factors.

The new study shows that media messages can help improve knowledge of back pain on a population-wide basis--including the primary care doctors who provide initial treatment for back injuries. The researchers call for further studies to determine if increased awareness will lead to reduced disability. Preliminary data from the Victoria workers' compensation system suggest that disability claims for back pain decreased significantly during the media campaign.

Recognized internationally as the leading journal in its field, Spine reports on today's most important diagnostic and therapeutic advances regarding spinal pain, deformity, and disability. Distinguished by its broad scope of coverage and emphasis on patient care, this popular biweekly has earned must-read status in the orthopaedic community. For more information, call 1-800-638-3030 or visit www.spinejournal.com.

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (www.LWW.com) is a global publisher of medical, nursing and allied health information resources in book, journal, newsletter, looseleaf, and electronic media formats.

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