Acute Low Back Pain and Primary Care

Low back pain in primary care.

1Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA; 2Department of Internal Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA; 3Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA; 4Oregon Institute for Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, US...

[Acute low back pain].

A focused history taking and physical examination directed toward uncovering signs that suggest a serious underlying cause of low back pain are crucial. "Red flags" include pain that lasts more than 6 weeks; pain in persons younger than 18 years or older than 50 years; pain that radiates below the knee; a history of major trauma; poor rectal tone; constitutional symptoms; atypical pain (eg, tha...

Acute low back pain.

Outcomes and costs of care for acute low back pain.

The epidemiology of low back pain in primary care

This descriptive review provides a summary of the prevalence, activity limitation (disability), care-seeking, natural history and clinical course, treatment outcome, and costs of low back pain (LBP) in primary care. LBP is a common problem affecting both genders and most ages, for which about one in four adults seeks care in a six-month period. It results in considerable direct and indirect cos...