title: [Back pain: patients versus research].
abstract: In 2008, approximately 1,559,000 Dutch patients consulted their GP because of back pain. One out of 20 back pain patients is ultimately referred to a specialist, most often to a neurologist. A smaller number (also) go to a neurosurgeon or orthopaedist. Once referred, patients often receive treatments such as pain killers or discectomy. Scientific evidence in systematic reviews is scarce for the treatments we investigated because of small patient groups and a lack of randomised research. We made an infographic to show the numbers of patients with back pain who visit their GP or a specialist.
authors.affiliation: GGD, afd. Jeugdgezondheidszorg Amsterdam.
authors.forename: Renske
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Theus
authors.forename: Joost O M
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Zaat
authors.forename: Annemarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uijen
authors.forename: Joost J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Enzing
mesh_terms: D001416:Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D058006:General Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D009493:Neurosurgery / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D016896:Treatment Outcome