Overview of Lumbar Spine Assessment

Original Editor - Shala Cunningham Top Contributors - Jess Bell and Stacy Schiurring
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Introduction[edit | edit source]

Low back pain is the leading cause of disability in most countries,[1] with a point prevalence of 11.9%.[2] Years lived with disability caused by low back pain are continuing to increase, and the socioeconomic burden of low back pain is high.[3] Around half of all individuals with low back pain seek care,[4] and it is estimated that around 60 percent of patients presenting to a primary care physician have a complaint of low back pain.[5] It is, therefore, important that rehabilitation providers have a comprehensive understanding of the lumbar spine evaluation. This page provides an overview of this evaluation and includes links for more information.

  1. GBD 2021 Low Back Pain Collaborators. Global, regional, and national burden of low back pain, 1990-2020, its attributable risk factors, and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Lancet Rheumatol. 2023 May 22;5(6):e316-e329.
  2. Bastos RM, Moya CR, de Vasconcelos RA, Costa LO. Treatment-based classification for low back pain: systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy. 2022 Jul 4;30(4):207-27.
  3. Dutmer AL, Schiphorst Preuper HR, Soer R, Brouwer S, Bültmann U, Dijkstra PU, et al. Personal and societal impact of low back pain: the Groningen Spine Cohort. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2019 Dec 15;44(24):E1443-E1451.
  4. Almeida M, Saragiotto B, Richards B, Maher CG. Primary care management of non-specific low back pain: key messages from recent clinical guidelines. Med J Aust. 2018 Apr 2;208(6):272-5.
  5. Gibbs D, McGahan BG, Ropper AE, Xu DS. Back pain: differential diagnosis and management. Neurol Clin. 2023 Feb;41(1):61-76.