Low Back Pain

Abstract

Low back pain is a common clinical condition with most people experiencing low back pain during at least one point in their life and represents the fifth most common reason for visits to physicians. In a global study, low back pain was the highest cause of disability and the sixth most common medical condition cause of overall burden. Low back pain also represents a significant financial burden on the healthcare system and society with the total annual costs associated with low back pain in the United States exceeding $100 billion. Direct healthcare costs of treating low back pain are estimated to be roughly $86 billion in 2005, and 2% of the US workforce are compensated for low back pain in a given year. Given the prevalence of low back pain and associated morbidity, it is imperative for orthopedic practitioners to be familiar with the common and less common, but more serious, causes of low back pain. This chapter will discuss how to evaluate, diagnose, and treat both specified and unspecified low back pain.