ABSTRACT
Back pain is the most common cause of disability worldwide. Back pain is among the orthopedic conditions that occur when biomechanical forces exceed the patient's metabolic wherewithal to withstand the forces, heal, and manage pain signaling. This chapter aims to help healthcare providers deepen and broaden their awareness of treatable metabolic antecedents of back pain. It uses the functional medicine framework to ascertain and organize patient-specific findings and implement individualized treatment strategies. Functional Medicine is the clinical application of systems biology. Functional Medicine sees health and illness along a continuum that changes over time. Traditionally, the treatments for back pain include anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxants, opioids, and physical therapy. In certain patients, interventional treatments such as dry needling, trigger point injections, medial branch and dorsal rami radiofrequency ablation, and even surgery can be a necessary component of a treatment strategy.
