Acute and chronic back pain can cause physiological pain and psychological problems. The acute back pain if not managed well can become a chronic issue. Constant pain can result in depression, stress, and anxiety. The prognosis of back pain is correlated with social and psychological factors. Catastrophizing and “fear avoidance beliefs” are a maladaptive coping mechanism that increases pain and discomfort (Rakel, 2018). Naturopath clinicians evaluate the patient's lifestyle, diet, social factors, and self-care strategies as a tool for providing a treatment the encompasses the patient as a whole rather than a specific disease (Rakel, 2018). In the recent findings, back pain has been associated with increased disability, expense, and the top cause of morbidity in the United States. In back pain accompanied by depression, the use of naturopathic therapies such as acupuncture has been proven to be cost-effective compared to standard treatment alone (Grace, Reilly, de Permentier, Vlass & Zhang, 2018).
Reference
Grace, S., Reilly, W., de Permentier, P., Vlass, A., & Zhang, D. (2018). The Cost-Effectiveness of Natural Medicine: An literature review. Journal of the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society, 24(1), 14–19. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.csusm.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=129029803&site=ehost-live