Articles: low-back-pain.
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Review Meta Analysis
The association between smoking and low back pain: a meta-analysis.
To assess the association between smoking and low back pain with meta-analysis. ⋯ Our findings indicate that both current and former smokers have a higher prevalence and incidence of low back pain than never smokers, but the association is fairly modest. The association between current smoking and the incidence of low back pain is stronger in adolescents than in adults.
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During the past decades several rating scales have been developed to assess the functional status of patients with low back pain. ⋯ Further studies are required to evaluate the reliability, validity and sensitivity of the low back pain scoring systems used in the common clinical practice.
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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the preferred investigation for most spinal diseases and is increasingly requested for people with low back pain (LBP). However, determining the cause of back pain is complicated as it is often multifactorial and anatomical abnormalities are common in the spine and may not necessarily translate into clinical symptoms. ⋯ It also has an acknowledged role in planning surgical management in cases of radiculopathy and spinal stenosis. This review summarises the indications for MRI in LBP and calls for improved education of patients and health professionals in the limitations of this investigation.
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Comparative Study
Subgrouping low back pain: a comparison of the STarT Back Tool with the Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire.
Clinicians require brief, practical tools to help identify low back pain (LBP) subgroups requiring early, targeted secondary prevention. The STarT Back Tool (SBT) was recently validated to subgroup LBP patients into early treatment pathways. ⋯ The SBT baseline psychometrics performed similarly to the OMPSQ, but the SBT is shorter and easier to score and is an appropriate alternative for identifying high risk LBP patients in primary care.
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The sacroiliac joint is a common source of chronic low back pain. We recently described the use of cooled radiofrequency (RF) electrodes for performing lateral branch neurotomy to treat sacroiliac joint pain. The procedure involves lesioning the lateral branches of the posterior primary rami at S1-S3, and the L5 dorsal ramus (L5DR). While the cooled RF electrode has been adopted as a means for lesioning the lateral branches, conventional RF electrodes are used to lesion the L5DR. The objective of this technical report is to evaluate the acute safety of denervating the L5DR using cooled RF electrode. ⋯ This review demonstrates the acute safety of using cooled RF for L5DR denervation with no report of significant or unusual patient complications. To establish frequency of complication associated with the treatment, a larger registry is required.