Mechanical Back Pain Questions & Answers

1. Kinkade S. Evaluation and treatment of acute low back pain. Am Fam Physician. Apr 15, 2007. 74(8):1181-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

2. Freburger JK, Holmes GM, Agans RP, Jackman AM, Darter JD, Wallace AS, et al. The rising prevalence of chronic low back pain. Arch Intern Med. 2009 Feb 9. 169 (3):251-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

3. Atlas SJ, Chang Y, Kammann E, Keller RB, Deyo RA, Singer DE. Long-term disability and return to work among patients who have a herniated lumbar disc: the effect of disability compensation. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2000 Jan. 82(1):4-15. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

4. Shiri R, Karppinen J, Leino-Arjas P, Solovieva S, Viikari-Juntura E. The association between smoking and low back pain: a meta-analysis. Am J Med. 2010 Jan. 123(1):87.e7-35. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

5. [Guideline] Patel ND, Broderick DF, Burns J, et al. ACR Appropriateness Criteria Low Back Pain. Reston Virginia: American College of Radiology; 2015. [Full Text].

6. Deyo RA, Rainville J, Kent DL. What can the history and physical examination tell us about low back pain?. JAMA. 1992 Aug 12. 268(6):760-5. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

7. Boden SD, Davis DO, Dina TS, Patronas NJ, Wiesel SW. Abnormal magnetic-resonance scans of the lumbar spine in asymptomatic subjects. A prospective investigation. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1990 Mar. 72(3):403-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

8. Hadjipaviou AG, Tzermiadianos MN, Bogduk N, Zindrick MR. The pathophysiology of disc degeneration: a critical review. J Bone Joint Surg Br. Oct 2008. 90(10):1261-70. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

9. van Tulder M, Koes B. Low back pain and sciatica (chronic). Clin Evid. 2003 Dec. (10):1359-76. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

10. Deyo RA, Weinstein JN. Low back pain. N Engl J Med. 2001 Feb 1. 344(5):363-70. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

11. Borenstein D. Epidemiology, etiology, diagnostic evaluation, and treatment of low back pain. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 1996 Mar. 8(2):124-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

12. Downie A, Williams CM, Henschke N, et al. Red flags to screen for malignancy and fracture in patients with low back pain: systematic review. BMJ. 2013 Dec 11. 347:f7095. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

13. Hoy D, Bain C, Williams G, et al. A systematic review of the global prevalence of low back pain. Arthritis Rheum. 2012 Jun. 64(6):2028-37. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

14. Drazin D, Nuño M, Patil CG, Yan K, Liu JC, Acosta FL Jr. Emergency room resource utilization by patients with low-back pain. J Neurosurg Spine. 2016 Jan 29. 1-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

15. Rivinoja AE, Paananen MV, Taimela SP, et al. Sports, Smoking, and Overweight During Adolescence as Predictors of Sciatica in Adulthood: A 28-Year Follow-up Study of a Birth Cohort. Am J Epidemiol. 2011 Apr 15. 173(8):890-7. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

16. Coste J, Delecoeuillerie G, Cohen de Lara A, Le Parc JM, Paolaggi JB. Clinical course and prognostic factors in acute low back pain: an inception cohort study in primary care practice. BMJ. 1994 Feb 26. 308(6928):577-80. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

17. Croft PR, Macfarlane GJ, Papageorgiou AC, Thomas E, Silman AJ. Outcome of low back pain in general practice: a prospective study. BMJ. 1998 May 2. 316(7141):1356-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

18. Chou R, Shekelle P. Will this patient develop persistent disabling low back pain?. JAMA. 2010 Apr 7. 303(13):1295-302. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

19. Williams CM, Henschke N, Maher CG, et al. Red flags to screen for vertebral fracture in patients presenting with low-back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Jan 31. 1:CD008643. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

20. Frank AO, De Souza LH, McAuley JH, Sharma V, Main CJ. A cross-sectional survey of the clinical and psychological features of low back pain and consequent work handicap: use of the Quebec Task Force classification. Int J Clin Pract. 2000 Dec. 54(10):639-44. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

21. Marriott A, Newman NM, Gracovetsky SA, Richards MP, Asselin S. Improving the evaluation of benign low back pain. Spine. 1999 May 15. 24(10):952-60. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

22. van der Windt DA, Simons E, Riphagen II, et al. Physical examination for lumbar radiculopathy due to disc herniation in patients with low-back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Feb 17. 2:CD007431. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

23. de Schepper EI, Damen J, van Meurs JB, et al. The association between lumbar disc degeneration and low back pain: the influence of age, gender, and individual radiographic features. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2010 Mar 1. 35(5):531-6. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

24. Lurie JD. What diagnostic tests are useful for low back pain?. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. Aug 2005. 19(4):557-75. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

25. Kuritzky L. Current management of acute musculoskeletal pain in the ambulatory care setting. Am J Ther. Nov-Dec 2008. Suppl 10:S7-11. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

26. Ahad A, Elsayed M, Tohid H. The accuracy of clinical symptoms in detecting cauda equina syndrome in patients undergoing acute MRI of the spine. Neuroradiol J. 2015 Aug. 28 (4):438-42. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

27. van Tulder MW, Koes BW, Bouter LM. Conservative treatment of acute and chronic nonspecific low back pain. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of the most common interventions. Spine. 1997 Sep 15. 22(18):2128-56. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

28. Cherkin D, Sherman KJ. Conceptualization and evaluation of an optimal healing environment for chronic low-back pain in primary care. J Altern Complement Med. 2004. 10 Suppl 1:S171-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

29. [Guideline] Qaseem A, Wilt TJ, McLean RM, Forciea MA, Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians. Noninvasive Treatments for Acute, Subacute, and Chronic Low Back Pain: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2017 Apr 4. 166 (7):514-530. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

30. [Guideline] Bernstein IA, Malik Q, Carville S, Ward S. Low back pain and sciatica: summary of NICE guidance. BMJ. 2017 Jan 6. 356:i6748. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

31. Ballantyne, JC. Avoiding Opioid Analgestics for Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain. JAMA. June 14 2016. 315(22):2459-2460. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

32. Nelson L, Aspegren D, Bova C. The use of epidural steroid injection and manipulation on patients with chronic low back pain. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1997 May. 20(4):263-6. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

33. Chaparro LE, Furlan AD, Deshpande A, Mailis-Gagnon A, Atlas S, Turk DC. Opioids compared to placebo or other treatments for chronic low-back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 Aug 27. 8:CD004959. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

34. Moffett JK, Torgerson D, Bell-Syer S, et al. Randomised controlled trial of exercise for low back pain: clinical outcomes, costs, and preferences. BMJ. 1999 Jul 31. 319(7205):279-83. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

35. Sertpoyraz F, Eyigor S, Karapolat H, Capaci K, Kirazli Y. Comparison of isokinetic exercise versus standard exercise training in patients with chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled study. Clin Rehabil. 2009 Mar. 23(3):238-47. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

36. [Guideline] Chou R, Loeser JD, Owens DK, Rosenquist RW, Atlas SJ, Baisden J. Interventional therapies, surgery, and interdisciplinary rehabilitation for low back pain: an evidence-based clinical practice guideline from the American Pain Society. Spine. 2009 May 1. 34(10):1066-77. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

37. Rubinstein SM, van Middelkoop M, Assendelft WJ, de Boer MR, van Tulder MW. Spinal manipulative therapy for chronic low-back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Feb 16. 2:CD008112. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

38. Hill JC, Whitehurst DG, Lewis M, et al. Comparison of stratified primary care management for low back pain with current best practice (STarT Back): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2011 Oct 29. 378(9802):1560-71. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

39. Hodges P, van den Hoorn W, Dawson A, Cholewicki J. Changes in the mechanical properties of the trunk in low back pain may be associated with recurrence. J Biomech. Jan 5, 2009. 42(1):61-6.

40. Lotz JC. The biomechanics of prevention and treatment for low back pain: 2nd international workshop. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 1999 Mar. 14(3):220-3. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

41. Juch JNS, Maas ET, Ostelo RWJG, Groeneweg JG, Kallewaard JW, Koes BW, et al. Effect of Radiofrequency Denervation on Pain Intensity Among Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: The Mint Randomized Clinical Trials. JAMA. 2017 Jul 4. 318 (1):68-81. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

42. DePalma MG. Red flags of low back pain. JAAPA. 2020 Aug. 33 (8):8-11. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

43. Thiese MS, Lu ML, Merryweather A, et al. Psychosocial Factors and Low Back Pain Outcomes in a Pooled Analysis of Low Back Pain Studies. J Occup Environ Med. 2020 Jun 16. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

44. Cheung WK, Cheung JPY, Lee WN. Role of Ultrasound in Low Back Pain: A Review. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2020 Jun. 46 (6):1344-1358. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

45. Will JS, Bury DC, Miller JA. Mechanical Low Back Pain. Am Fam Physician. 2018 Oct 1. 98 (7):421-428. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

Debra G Perina, MD Professor, Director of Prehospital Care Division, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center

Debra G Perina, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, National Association of EMS Physicians, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine, Air Medical Physician Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Received salary from Medscape for employment. for: Medscape.

Eric L Legome, MD Professor and Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai St Lukes and Mount Sinai West; Vice Chair of Academic Affairs, Department of Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Eric L Legome, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, New York American College of Emergency Physicians, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Trevor John Mills, MD, MPH Chief of Emergency Medicine, Veterans Affairs Northern California Health Care System; Professor of Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine

Trevor John Mills, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Edward Bessman, MD, MBA Chairman and Clinical Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, John Hopkins Bayview Medical Center; Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Edward Bessman, MD, MBA is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

• Print this section
• Print the entire contents of
• Print the entire contents of article