title: Clinical approaches to low back pain. Part 1. Epidemiology, diagnosis, and prevention.
abstract: The epidemiology and difficulties in diagnosing low back pain are discussed. Clinical investigations should be limited to those tests that will provide useful information for effective management. Prevention is the best strategy for avoiding low back pain but is realistically hard to practise because the disorder has many environmental and intrinsic risk factors.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital, University of Western Ontario, London.
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Teasell
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010808:Physical Examination; D015995:Prevalence; D011322:Primary Prevention; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed