AN OVERVIEW OF LOW BACK PAIN: CLINICAL EVALUATION, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

Abstract

Painful spine conditions are common among the general population, the incidence of this symptom being very high among all ages, but especially after forty years. Rehabilitation of patients with low back pain is very important because episodes of back pain constitute the second leading symptom prompting patients to seek evaluation by a physician. Consequently, the goals of the clinicians evaluating patients with an episode of low back pain are to have a differential diagnosis of the condition and its etiology, to rule out radiculopathy or other severe medical causes, to establish a rehabilitation plan that aims to prevent recurrence of this episode and to formulate a management plan if the condition does not improve promptly. Therefore, it is required to overview the spine pathophysiological changes that can cause low back pain in order to provide the best treatment options for the patients, according to their medical and social history, and thus, increasing their overall quality of life. Keywords: back pain, rehabilitation, physical modalities, exercise, disability.