Like fixing a flat on the roadside, a new injectable hydrogel is showing promise as a remedy for worn-down spinal discs -- pumping them back up and relieving chronic back pain.

The gel, with the brand name Hydrafil, is injected directly into worn discs using X-rays to guide the needle, said lead researcher Dr. Douglas Beall, chi...

Persistent use of steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen to treat acute lower back pain may actually turn it into a chronic condition, a new study warns.

However, some experts who expressed concerns about the study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine

Medical marijuana could be a viable alternative to opioid painkillers for people dealing with arthritis or chronic back pain, two new studies show.

Many patients prescribed opioids for their chronic pain wound up taking fewer painkillers -- or stopping them altogether -- after doctors ce...

A comparison of Neanderthal and modern human spines suggests lifestyle habits of 21st century people lie behind widespread back pain, researchers say.

Anthropologists focused on the spine's curvature, which is partly influenced by wedging, or angling, of vertebrae and the softer discs between vertebrae.

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A 3-D virtual reality system to treat back pain was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday.

The EaseVRx system is a prescription device for at-home use that combines cognitive behavioral therapy and other behavioral methods to treat patients 18 and older with chronic lower back pain.

"Millions of adults in the United States are living with chronic lower back pa...

You can ride a rocket into space to escape Earth, but one thing you might not escape is back pain.

Back pain could turn out to be a major problem for the growing number of space travelers, and learning more about it could also benefit Earth-bound back patients, researchers say.

Low gravity, the physical stress of riding in a rocket and nutritional changes may all contribute to back ...

Many people with long-term back pain have tried physical therapy and medication, to no avail. A new study suggests they might "unlearn" their discomfort in weeks -- using psychological therapy.

"For a long time, we have thought that chronic pain is due primarily to problems in the body, and most treatments to date have targeted that," said Yoni Ashar, who led the study while earning his P...

After more than a year at home, children are heading back to classrooms across the country. But they're also toting heavy bags on their backs again.

A backpack that fits properly -- and is not overloaded with binders and books -- will help prevent injury.

"With a focus on getting back in the classroom and returning to 'normal,' it's easy to overlook possible injuries caused by ...

A new approach to spinal cord stimulation may drastically reduce chronic back pain, a small pilot study suggests.

The study, of 20 patients with stubborn low back pain, tested the effects of implanting electrodes near the spinal cord to stimulate it with "ultra-low" frequency electrical pulses.

After two weeks, 90% of the patients were reporting at least an 80% reduction in their pa...

Football and other contact sports get a lot of attention for their injury hazards. But for most adults, bike riding is the biggest back-breaker, a new study suggests.

Of more than 12,000 sports-related spinal injuries among U.S. adults, researchers found that a full 81% were due to bicycling mishaps. The injuries mostly included vertebral fractures, often in the neck but also in the middl...