title: The management of lower back pain.
abstract: Lower back pain (LBP) is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions, with an estimated 60-70% of the adult population experiencing a back problem at some point in their lives. It can have a significant social and occupational impact on a patient, and therefore is a major concern to both civilian and military populations. The impact of low back pain in the military setting, regardless of chronicity, can result in considerable restrictions on a patient's ability to perform his or her job. This may have important ramifications for deployability, medical category and, potentially, a patient's future career. This article will consider the diagnosis and classification of lower back pain (LBP) in the pre-shore, pre-hospital and hospital settings. It will detail management options including investigations, pain management and referral options; furthermore, the potential occupational implications of lower back pain will be detailed.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Morrow
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008487:Medical History Taking; D008889:Military Personnel; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D059408:Pain Management; D010808:Physical Examination; D012307:Risk Factors; D006113:United Kingdom; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation