032 - Low Back Pain and Essential Oils

A lifting-related misunderstanding puts a strain on Jonathan and Chris’ relationship… and Chris’ back. What can one do when faced with nonspecific lower back pain, besides “nothing”? So many interventions to choose from: exercise, insoles, X-rays, NSAIDs, Tylenol, muscle relaxants, gabapentinoids, opioids, hot and cold, massages, acupuncture, chiropractic, mattresses, bed rest, and a partridge in a pear tree. But what works? Also: can essential oils kill bacteria or, at the very least, relax you?; the PURE study that everyone is talking about; adding more oxygen may not be like adding more cow bell; and a special announcement means more science communication for everyone!   The paper on the antibacterial activity of some essential oils: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1693916/   Dr. Greger’s Orange Aromatherapy Video: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/orange-aromatherapy-for-anxiety/   The paper testing orange oil for experimental anxiety: http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2011.0551   The Skeptical Inquirer article on aromatherapy: http://www.csicop.org/si/show/whats_that_i_smell_the_claims_of_aromatherapy   The press release on oxygen therapy for heart attacks: https://www.escardio.org/The-ESC/Press-Office/Press-releases/oxygen-therapy-does-not-improve-survival-in-patients-with-heart-attack-symptoms   Vox pop by Alex Wood.   Jingle by Joseph Hackl.   Additional music by Seth Donnelly and Kevin MacLeod.   Theme music: "Troll of the Mountain Swing" by the Underscore Orkestra.   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.