September 2026 Healthy News from Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC: How to Keep Low Back Pain From Becoming a Long-Term Problem
KEEPING LOW BACK PAIN FROM BECOMING CHRONIC
For most people, a low back pain flare-up settles down within a few weeks, but for roughly one in five, that pain sticks aroundand starts disrupting daily life. A large, NIH-fundedclinical trial called PACBACK, newly publishedin JAMA Internal Medicine, took a close look at how to preventthat shift from short-term pain to a chronic, high-impactcondition. (1) Researchers followed1,000 participantswith acute or subacute low back pain who were at increased risk of developing chronic symptoms, comparing standard medical careagainst spinal manipulation, a clinician-supported self-management program, and a combination of the two. The self-management program — centered on education, guided exercise, and staying active despite discomfort — proved to be the most effective piece for keeping pain from taking over patients' daily lives over the full year. An linked editorial noted that results like these point toward a broader opportunity: preventing chronic low back pain may depend less on any single treatment and more on reliably deliveringguideline-recommended care from the start, before pain has a chance to become entrenched. What does this mean for you? Because identifying who's at risk early allows your care team to intervene before symptoms worsen. (2) At Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC in La Grande, this research supportswhat our doctors already emphasizes — that manual care works best when it's combined withthe right self-care habits. That's part of why every plan at Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC starts with your individual pain history, risk factors, and goals rather than a generic protocol — personalized care is what tends to produce results that actually last.
CHIROPRACTIC TIP OF THE MONTH: KEEP MOVEMENT PART OF YOUR RECOVERY
Cox® flexion-distraction adjusting — a gentle, non-thrust technique long used for low back conditions — is designed to reduce pain while still allowing patients to stay active. A well-known case series of 1,000 patients treated with this method reported positive outcomes across a broad range of low back conditions, underscoring the value of an approach that supports the body's movement rather than against it. This is consistent with what long-standing clinical observation with flexion-distraction has demonstrated — that gentle, targeted motion can support recovery without aggravating symptoms. That idea carries over directly into self-management at home. Recent qualitative research on older adults living with chronic low back pain found that fear of movement often does more harm than the pain itself, leading people to withdraw from activities that would otherwise help them. Here's this month's challenge: pick one activity you've been avoiding because of your back — a brief walk, some light gardening, or simply standing more often during the day — and ease back into it slowly. (4) Add it to the home exercises your chiropractor recommended, and report back at your next visit so your plan can be adjusted if needed. Remaining appropriately active, alongside your in-office care, is one of the most effective things you can do to keep a passing episode from becoming a long-term problem.
CONTACT Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Nike Taylor on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she shares the frustration of chronic low back pain and the relieving treatment for a patient with chronic low back pain using The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.