Low back pain and radicular pain: evaluation and management
KCE Reports 287 (2017)
From acute lumbago to chronic sciatica, this paper by 31 Belgian experts led by two KCE researchers reviews the body of recent scientific knowledge on this widespread problem. The focus is on de-medicalisation, the importance of staying physically active to promote spontaneous healing, and the (very) limited use of imaging. But probably the most recent element is that people who are at high risk of developing chronic pain should be identified as quickly as possible, so that they can be given a specific approach right away.The working group further developed a clinical pathway, which is a kind of “procedure” defining, for a given patient and according to the duration of his pain, the examinations to be performed and the treatments to be proposed in order to progress with him in the most coherent way. To facilitate the use of this necessarily complex document, an interactive online version has also been made available to all concerned practitioners.
How to refer to this report