Articles: low-back-pain.
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1) To examine recent change in prevalence and Medicare-associated charges for non-invasive/minimally invasive evaluation and treatment of nonspecific low back pain (LBP); and 2) to examine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) utilization appropriateness in older adults with chronic low back pain (CLBP). ⋯ LBP documentation and diagnostic studies are increasing in Medicare beneficiaries, and evidence suggests that MRIs may often be ordered unnecessarily. Injection procedures appear to account for a significant proportion of LBP-associated costs. More studies are needed to examine the appropriateness with which imaging procedures and non-invasive/minimally invasive treatments are utilized, and their effect on patient outcomes.
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Symptom duration is integral to clinical and epidemiological research on pain. It is widely used for sample selection and commonly assessed in clinical practice. However, there has been little specific investigation of the link between duration and outcome. ⋯ In conclusion, memory of LBP episode duration is associated with pain, disability and psychological status, and is an independent predictor of time to improvement. There are important differences between people who recall more or less than 3 years' duration. Mechanisms for these associations are poorly understood, but this research suggests that duration itself is an important focus for research.
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J Manipulative Physiol Ther · Mar 2006
Plantar infrared thermography measurements and low back pain intensity.
To study the skin temperature disorders in low back pain (LBP) patients compared with reference persons without LBP and to evaluate the relationship between pain intensity and other clinical signs and temperature abnormalities. ⋯ Temperature changes of the plantar surface seem to be connected with LBP intensity. Temperature measurements may be useful as an adjunctive physiological test in the evaluation and documentation of autonomic dysfunction in LBP patients.