Back pain is sometimes reported as having a self-limiting course. This is true in some cases; however, the incidence recurrence has been reported to be much higher than previously believed.
Back Pain has High Recurrence Rate
Professor Chris Maher, a professor at the Sydney Medical School reports that “Back pain has a high recurrence rate, with roughly 50 percent of patients experiencing a recurrence within a year”.
Croft et al. (1998) collected data on this area & his findings suggest that recurrence levels may actually be higher than this. His research was ‘consistent with the interpretation that 90% of patients with low back pain in primary care will have stopped consulting with symptoms within three months.’ However most will still be experiencing pain and related disability one year later.
This highlights the importance of appropriate management & early intervention in the management of symptoms. Optimal physiotherapy management for low back pain should involve a component of exercise rehabilitation.
In a recent study published by the Cochrane Library it is reported that motor control exercise is another strategy to reduce pain and disability caused by lower back pain.
