Diagnosis and Treatment of Low Back Pain

The American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society have published a clinical practice guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of low back pain. The seven guideline recommendations are:

1. Physical exam and focused history, including assessment of psychosocial risk factors for chronic disabling back pain, to categorize patients as having nonspecific back pain, radiculopathy or spinal stenosis, or pain with another specific spinal cause

2. No routine imaging or other diagnostic tests for patients with nonspecific back pain

3. Imaging and other relevant diagnostic testing for patients with severe or progressive neurologic deficits or when serious underlying conditions are suspected

4. Imaging (preferably magnetic resonance) for eval…