Musculoskeletal lower back pain

Patients should be reassured that most musculoskeletal lower back pain responds to treatment, although complete recovery may take some time and further episodes may develop. A return to regular activities is encouraged and can minimise disability.[78]Dahm KT, Brurberg KG, Jamtvedt G, et al. Advice to rest in bed versus advice to stay active for acute low-back pain and sciatica. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Jun 16;(6):CD007612. https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007612.pub2/full http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20556780?tool=bestpractice.com National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS): low back pain fact sheet Opens in new window Resuming ordinary daily activities is extremely unlikely to result in aggravation of lower back pain or any serious injury to their back.

The quality of interactions with the carer who provides this education can also be an important factor in the patient's potential recovery. Two systematic reviews found that patients with low back pain want:[185]Chou L, Ranger TA, Peiris W, et al. Patients' perceived needs of health care providers for low back pain management: a systematic scoping review. Spine J. 2018 Apr;18(4):691-711. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29373836?tool=bestpractice.com [186]Lim YZ, Chou L, Au RT, et al. People with low back pain want clear, consistent and personalised information on prognosis, treatment options and self-management strategies: a systematic review. J Physiother. 2019 Jul;65(3):124-35. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1836955319300578?via%3Dihub http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31227280?tool=bestpractice.com

• Patient-centred care

• Personalised information on prognosis, treatment options, and self-management

• To be actively involved in their care

• To foster a good provider-patient relationship through good communication and shared decision-making.