title: Low back pain and illness behavior (inappropriate, maladaptive, or abnormal).
abstract: Patients with low back pain without a sufficient physical cause attract labels such as "hysteria" and "hypochondriasis," often on the basis of exclusion. The concept of "abnormal illness behavior" was introduced to clarify the classification and diagnosis of these conditions, in which the behavior of the doctor plays a particularly important part. Principles of management are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Pain Service, Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pilowsky
mesh_terms: D003663:Decision Trees; D006801:Humans; D006998:Hypochondriasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D007046:Hysteria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D011936:Reality Testing; D012803:Sick Role; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires