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Story checked

Why chronic low back pain feels 'personal' (opens in a new tab)

medicalxpress.com · 2026-10-06

Short answerEvidenceSource

Short answer

Mixed

Mixed.

One key claim is not backed by the study. 2 other points were not covered by the paper.

  • 2 supported
  • 1 overstated
  • 1 not supported
  • 2 not covered

Checked against the study summary. The full text wasn't available, so some details couldn't be settled either way.

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NewsLink checks it

Mixed

Two claims go beyond the study. One overstates it and one isn't supported at all. Two claims the study doesn't address.

  • 2 supported
  • 1 overstated
  • 1 not supported
  • 2 not covered
Open claim evidence
3
Source paper

Source layer

The 2 papers the story cites

Source study separated from background citations.

The research anchor for the report.

Then inspect each claim

Evidence layer

Claim by claim

Each claim gets a verdict. Expand it to see the evidence directly below.

6 claims in this story

Showing all 6 claimsChoose a verdict to focus the list.

Claim 1 of 6Not supportedThe story also says recent work from Zeidan's team suggests mindfulness meditation and psilocybin may help patients separate chronic pain from identity, with preliminary reductions in pain intensity, but that more research is needed.View evidenceHide evidence

Why this verdict

The supplied paper profile contains no mindfulness meditation or psilocybin intervention data, no preliminary treatment effects, and no evidence about separating chronic pain from identity through those interventions. This appears to refer to other work rather than the profiled paper, so it is not supported by the supplied paper evidence.

Claim 2 of 6OverstatedThe article says these findings could help explain why typical symptom-based treatments such as opiates are often ineffective for chronic low back pain and suggest that targeting the default mode network may be a better approach.View evidenceHide evidence

Why this verdict

The abstract-level paper profile supports mechanistic, observational associations involving DMN activity/connectivity during movement-evoked chronic low back pain. It does not report treatment outcomes, opiate effectiveness, or evidence that targeting the DMN is a better clinical approach. Even though the story hedges this as suggestive, the treatment implication outruns the observational imaging evidence summarized here.

1

Study evidence

Leg raise test (LRT) increased self-reported pain intensity and unpleasantness.23% increase in pain intensity (P<0.001); 26% increase in unpleasantness (P<0.001).

“A total of 114 participants with cLBP performed the cLBP-evoking leg raise test during perfusion-based arterial spin labelling functional MRI.”
2

Study evidence

Higher BPI pain severity was associated with stronger resting-state functional connectivity between the default mode network and the somatosensory cortex representing the back.

“Analyses assessing default mode network-whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity supporting BPI severity were also conducted.”
Claim 3 of 6Not coveredThe study used 114 chronic low back pain patients who performed a leg raise test while their brains were measured with arterial spin labeling MRI, and used a painful heat stimulus on the calf as a control.View evidenceHide evidence

As stated114 patients

Why this verdict

The sample size, chronic low back pain cohort, leg raise task, and ASL/perfusion fMRI are supported by the abstract-level profile. However, the claim that the study also used a painful heat stimulus on the calf as a control is not present in the supplied abstract-level paper profile, so that part cannot be verified at this evidence depth.

1

Study evidence

Leg raise test (LRT) increased self-reported pain intensity and unpleasantness.23% increase in pain intensity (P<0.001); 26% increase in unpleasantness (P<0.001).

“A total of 114 participants with cLBP performed the cLBP-evoking leg raise test during perfusion-based arterial spin labelling functional MRI.”
2

Study evidence

Leg raise test increased self-reported pain compared with supine in 114 participants with cLBP.Pain intensity +23%; Pain unpleasantness +26% (both P<0.001)

“Leg raise test-based pain intensity and unpleasantness ratings were assessed with an 11-point visual analogue scale (VAS; 0=no pain, 10=worst pain imaginable).”
Claim 4 of 6Not coveredIn contrast, when participants were given the painful heat stimulus, their default mode network shut down, which the story says is the brain's usual response to acute pain.View evidenceHide evidence

Why this verdict

The profile notes the authors’ contrast that movement-evoked chronic low back pain is not characterized by the typical DMN deactivation seen in experimental pain. But the specific story claim that these same participants received a painful heat stimulus and that their DMN shut down during that stimulus is not documented in the supplied abstract-level profile.

1

Study evidence

Leg raise test (LRT) increased self-reported pain intensity and unpleasantness.23% increase in pain intensity (P<0.001); 26% increase in unpleasantness (P<0.001).

“A total of 114 participants with cLBP performed the cLBP-evoking leg raise test during perfusion-based arterial spin labelling functional MRI.”
Claim 5 of 6SupportedResearchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine found that the brain's default mode network is turned on when chronic low back pain patients experience sudden pain brought on by movement.View evidenceHide evidence

Why this verdict

The abstract-level profile reports that 114 chronic low back pain participants underwent a leg raise test during ASL perfusion fMRI, and that movement-evoked pain increased cerebral blood flow in medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortices, described as core default mode network nodes. The story’s wording that the DMN is “turned on” is a simplified phrasing of increased perfusion/activity during movement-evoked pain, but it is aligned with the paper profile.

1

Study evidence

Leg raise test (LRT) increased self-reported pain intensity and unpleasantness.23% increase in pain intensity (P<0.001); 26% increase in unpleasantness (P<0.001).

“A total of 114 participants with cLBP performed the cLBP-evoking leg raise test during perfusion-based arterial spin labelling functional MRI.”
Claim 6 of 6SupportedParticipants with more severe chronic back pain had stronger connections between the default mode network and the primary somatosensory cortex, and greater pain intensity during the leg raise test tracked with more activity in sensory and motor regions.View evidenceHide evidence

Why this verdict

The profile supports both components: higher BPI chronic pain severity was associated with stronger resting-state DMN–somatosensory cortex connectivity, and higher leg-raise-evoked pain intensity ratings were associated with greater activity in superior parietal, supramarginal, and bilateral sensorimotor cortices.

1

Study evidence

Leg raise test (LRT) increased self-reported pain intensity and unpleasantness.23% increase in pain intensity (P<0.001); 26% increase in unpleasantness (P<0.001).

“A total of 114 participants with cLBP performed the cLBP-evoking leg raise test during perfusion-based arterial spin labelling functional MRI.”
2

Study evidence

Higher BPI pain severity was associated with stronger resting-state functional connectivity between the default mode network and the somatosensory cortex representing the back.

“Analyses assessing default mode network-whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity supporting BPI severity were also conducted.”
Then look for missing context

Context layer

What the story left out

Important study details the story did not include.

  • The leg raise test significantly increased self-reported pain intensity and unpleasantness, validating the movement-evoked pain provocation paradigm.

    The story discusses movement-triggered pain but, as presented, does not include the paper’s quantitative behavioral result that pain intensity rose 23% and unpleasantness 26% during the leg raise test.

    From Within-subject leg raise provocation during perfusion-based ASL fMRI

  • The paper evidence is observational/cross-sectional for the connectivity findings and does not establish that DMN–somatosensory coupling causes pain severity or flares.

    The story presents treatment implications as suggestive, but the caveats listed do not explicitly acknowledge the key interpretation-changing limitation that these imaging/connectivity associations are observational and cannot establish causal direction.

    From resting-state fMRI connectivity analysis

  • The profiled paper does not test treatments, opiates, mindfulness, psilocybin, or clinical targeting of the DMN.

    The story mentions that treatment implications are suggestive and says more research is needed for mindfulness/psilocybin, but it does not clearly separate those claims from the profiled paper’s actual evidence base: observational neuroimaging rather than treatment testing.

    From Observational within-subject ASL fMRI pain-provocation (leg raise test); resting-state fMRI connectivity analysis

5 things the story did carry across
  • The paper’s central evidence is an observational within-subject ASL perfusion fMRI leg-raise pain-provocation study in 114 people with chronic low back pain.
  • Movement-evoked pain increased cerebral blood flow in DMN nodes, specifically medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortices, as well as nociceptive/sensorimotor regions.
  • Higher leg-raise-evoked pain intensity ratings were associated with greater activity in parietal and sensorimotor cortices.
  • Greater chronic pain severity was associated with stronger resting-state functional connectivity between the DMN and somatosensory cortex representing the back.
  • The paper interprets the findings as maladaptive coupling between self-referential DMN processes and somatosensory/nociceptive networks during chronic low back pain flares.
Then read the study layer

Study layer

Study at a glance

Scan the study first. Expand only the parts you want to inspect.

Pieces of work

3

Evidence read

study summary

Lead result

human in vivo

1Lead resulthuman in vivoIdentify brain perfusion (cerebral blood flow) changes during movement-evoked pain (leg raise test) in people with chronic low back pain, and relate these changes to evoked pain ratings.Observational within-subject ASL fMRI pain-provocation (leg raise test)Expand

In plain English

In 114 people with chronic low back pain (cLBP), a leg raise test (LRT) performed during arterial spin labelling (ASL) perfusion fMRI increased self-reported pain and produced regional increases in cerebral blood flow (CBF). Movement-evoked increases in CBF were observed in default mode network (medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate) and nociceptive/sensorimotor regions (thalamus, primary motor cortex for the back, parietal operculum). Higher LRT-evoked pain intensity ratings correlated with greater activity in superior parietal, supramarginal, and bilateral sensorimotor cortices. Separately, greater chronic pain severity (BPI) was associated with stronger resting-state DMN–somatosensory (back representation) connectivity. The authors interpret these results as maladaptive coupling between self-referential (DMN) and somatosensory/nociceptive networks during movement-evoked cLBP flares.

Key findings

  • Leg raise test (LRT) increased self-reported pain intensity and unpleasantness.23% increase in pain intensity (P<0.001); 26% increase in unpleasantness (P<0.001).
  • Movement-evoked pain increased cerebral blood flow in default mode network nodes and nociceptive/sensorimotor regions.
“A total of 114 participants with cLBP performed the cLBP-evoking leg raise test during perfusion-based arterial spin labelling functional MRI.”
2human in vivoIdentify resting-state functional connectivity (focused on default mode network connectivity) associated with chronic low back pain severity/interference (BPI) in the same cLBP cohort.resting-state fMRI connectivity analysisExpand

In plain English

Resting-state fMRI functional connectivity analyses examined default mode network (DMN) whole-brain connectivity in relation to chronic pain severity measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) in the same cLBP cohort. The abstract reports that higher BPI pain severity was associated with stronger resting-state functional connectivity between the DMN and the somatosensory cortex (back representation). Methodological details for the RSFC pipeline and statistical control are not reported in the abstract.

Key findings

  • Higher BPI pain severity was associated with stronger resting-state functional connectivity between the default mode network and the somatosensory cortex representing the back.
“Analyses assessing default mode network-whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity supporting BPI severity were also conducted.”
What this piece can’t prove
  • Cross-sectional observational design prevents causal inference about whether DMN–somatosensory coupling drives or results from greater pain severity.
  • Abstract does not state whether RSFC sample size or data quality differed from the task-based ASL sample.

1 further detail could not be confirmed from the summary.

3human in vivoQuantify and report the behavioural pain response to the leg raise test (pain intensity and unpleasantness changes from supine to LRT) in the cLBP cohort.Within-subject leg raise provocation during perfusion-based ASL fMRIExpand

In plain English

In 114 participants with chronic low back pain, the leg raise test performed during perfusion-based ASL fMRI produced significant within-subject increases in self-reported pain: VAS intensity increased by 23% and unpleasantness by 26% (both P<0.001 versus supine), supporting the leg raise as an effective evoked-pain provocation for the imaging paradigm.

Key findings

  • Leg raise test increased self-reported pain compared with supine in 114 participants with cLBP.Pain intensity +23%; Pain unpleasantness +26% (both P<0.001)
“Leg raise test-based pain intensity and unpleasantness ratings were assessed with an 11-point visual analogue scale (VAS; 0=no pain, 10=worst pain imaginable).”
What this piece can’t prove
  • Percent change metric reported without raw score context limits interpretation of clinical magnitude.
  • No demographic or subgroup breakdown provided in abstract to assess generalisability across the 114 participants.

1 further detail could not be confirmed from the summary.

Finally, the search trail

Method layer

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Papers considered

The selected paper, plus nearby candidates.

PubMed, Crossref, Europe PMC · 15 candidate papers

Candidate

MULLIGAN BENT LEG RAISE DENGAN SWISS BALL EXERCISE TERHADAP PENURUNAN NYERI PADA PENDERITA LOW BACK PAIN NON-SPESIFIK

Media Fisioterapi Politeknik Kesehatan Makassar · 2024 · Crossref

Source (opens in a new tab)

And 9 more candidates considered.