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Thursday 25 April 2024

Peer Reviewed

Feature Article Rheumatology

Low back pain: a simple protocol for GPs

Richard C Hudson

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Abstract

A diagnostic triage can help GPs choose the appropriate management strategy for patients presenting with low back pain.

Key Points

One of the most common fears of any health professional treating back pain is that he or she will miss the patient with serious pathology.
Patients presenting with low back pain should be placed into one of three diagnostic categories, thereby aiding practical management.
Mechanical back pain is very common; it is usually self-limiting, resolving spontaneously in five to 10 days.
Patients with nerve root pain usually present with unilateral pain radiating down to below the knee.
The presence of red flags, or warning signs, may indicate a serious cause of low back pain, such as a tumour, infection, inflammatory disorder or the cauda equina syndrome.