New relief for lower back pain

The use of continuous low-level heat wrap therapy (CLHT) significantly reduces acute low back pain and improves occupational performance of employees in physically demanding jobs who suffer from it, according to a Johns Hopkins study, according to an industry report.
The heat wrap is a wrap worn over the lower back, under the clothing. It uses an exothermic chemical reaction to deliver a low level of topical heat for at least eight continuous hours.
In the study, patients who received CLHT experienced rapid and significant reduction in pain intensity and greater pain relief compared to patients who only received pain education. The CLHT patients showed a 52 percent reduction in pain intensity and a 43 percent improvement in pain relief within one day of treatment.
Low back pain is one of the most common and costly medical problems in the U.S. Approximately 50 percent of working-age people are reported to suffer from acute low back pain every year, and it is estimated that the annual productivity loss from this condition totals between $20 and $50 billion.