TCM nonpharmacological interventions for chronic low-back pain: A protocol for systematic review and network meta analysis

Low back pain (LBP) is a very common disorder , and it causes significant pain, impairment of daily activities, and decreases quality of life.. With approximately 84% of adults experiencing an episode of LBP at some point during their lifetime and variable recurrence rates (5% to 60%). It is associated with more global disability than any other condition.Chronic low back pain (CLBP) refers to LBP has persisted for more than 3 months. CLBP carries an enormous economic burden from both direct (e.g. treatment) and indirect (e.g. lost work productivity) costs. In the United States, approximately $100 billion of medical expenses is spent annually for back pain with an additional $50 billion arising from indirect costs due to the lost in productivity and disability benefit payments. CLBP is also associated with impaired quality of life, mobility and daily function as well as social isolation, disability and depression. It is a major health problem leads to more years living with disability than any other musculoskeletal condition.Although financial burden and disability attributed to chronic low back pain is substantially different between countries, the incremental impact of the worldwide health care system is expected to be significant in the coming decades. According to 2017 global statistics, low back pain accounts for 7.3% point prevalence of activity-limiting illnesses, affecting 54 billion people at all ages.