N e c k P a i n a n d L o w e r Ba c k

Pain
a, b
Adrian Popescu, MD *, Haewon Lee, MD

KEYWORDS
 Neck pain  Natural history  Treatment  Diagnosis  Physical examination
 Lower back pain  Spine interventions  Red flags

KEY POINTS
 History and physical examination along with risk factors should dictate further needs for
imaging for patients with neck or lower back pain.
 A cross-imaging study like MRI should be considered in patients with history of cancer,
red flag signs, progressive neurologic deficits, determining the acuity of a fracture, and
for presurgical or preprocedural evaluation.
 For patients with acute neck pain who receive appropriate treatment, most cases will
resolve over a period of weeks to months.
 Preferential direction of movement in patients with radicular or axial lower back pain
symptoms can guide patient’s ergonomics and a physical therapy program.
 Seeing a physiatrist spine specialist within 1 week of symptoms onset can increase patient
satisfaction, decrease use of care and reduce rates of fusion spine surgeries for patients
with lower back pain.

NECK PAIN
Epidemiology
Neck pain is the fourth leading cause of disability.1 Adult population (ages 15–74 years)
shows a point prevalence ranging from 5.9%2 to 38.7%.3 The 1-year prevalence of
neck pain in the elderly population ranges between 8.8%4 and 11.6%.5,6 Females
report neck pain more frequently than males.7,8
The causes of neck pain vary broadly, with leading causes being inadequate ergo-
nomics at work, sitting and maintaining neck posture in a nonphysiologic position for
long periods of time. Duration of symptoms may classify the neck pain as acute at less
than 6 weeks, subacute at 3 months or less, or chronic at more than 6 months. There is
an association between a shorter duration of neck pain and better prognosis for long-
term outcomes.9,10

a
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hospital of the University of Pennsyl-
vania, Perelman School of Medicine, 1800 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA;
b
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Cali-
fornia San Diego, 200 West Arbor Drive, #8894, San Diego, CA 92103, USA
* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: [email protected]

Med Clin N Am - (2019) -–-

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mcna.2019.11.003 medical.theclinics.com
0025-7125/19/ª 2019 Published by Elsevier Inc.
2 Popescu & Lee

Acute neck pain largely resolves within 2 months from the initial pain episode, but a
significant proportion of patients continue to have neck pain recurrence or some
discomfort at 1 year. The best predictor of future neck pain is presence of an episode
of neck pain in the past.11,12
Factors associated with neck pain chronicity include psychopathology, low work
satisfaction, sedentary lifestyle, headaches, female sex, secondary gain, and poor
work physical environment and ergonomics.13

Classification
Nontraumatic neck pain can be classified according to the suspected pain generator.
It can have a mechanical component (cervical intervertebral disc, cervical zygapophy-
seal joints, facet joints, ligaments, and atlantoaxial joints), or a neuropathic component
(radiculopathy secondary to compression or irritation of the spinal nerve secondary to
a disc herniation, foraminal stenosis, or central spinal stenosis), or a combination of
both. The controversial entity of myofascial pain syndrome is a condition that probably
encompasses neck pain not explained by imaging findings, in a chronic fashion. Neck
pain with a neurologic deficit can be cause by disc herniation with nerve root compres-
sion, severe foraminal stenosis or disc-osteophyte complex that leads to nerve root
compression, or central stenosis leading to cord compression and myelopathy. Ossi-
fication of the posterior longitudinal ligament is a unique condition that can cause cord
compression and myelopathy. Myelopathy is a clinical diagnosis. It often refers to
weakness, balance, and fine motor deficits secondary to spinal cord compression.
The differential diagnosis for neck pain is broad and should be used in a diagnostic
algorithm: coronary artery disease, infection (osteomyelitis, discitis, retropharyngeal
abscess, meningitis, fracture of the dens), malignancy (multiple myeloma, metastatic
disease), rheumatologic conditions (polymyalgia rheumatica, calcium pyrophosphate
deposition disease at the atlanto-axial joint, fibromyalgia), vascular etiologies (verte-
bral or carotid dissection), and thoracic outlet syndrome for neck pain associated
with arm symptoms. Albeit rare, neck pain conditions that are associated with red
flags (myelopathy, osteomyelitis, discitis, bowel or bladder incontinence, suspected
malignancy) need to be addressed in a timely fashion and usually require advance im-
aging (MRI or computed tomography [CT]) along with specific laboratory work (eryth-
rocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, complete blood count, etc).

History and Physical Examination

The history and physical examination plays a key role in ruling out some of the more
serious causes for neck pain that require physician intervention. Differentiating among
various painful conditions involving the neck is less critical, especially if the symptoms
resolve with time and conservative treatment. Any significant trauma to the head or
neck resulting in severe pain should be assessed using the Canadian C-spine rules
and NEXUS criteria.14,15
Observation of neck and head position and range of motion are an integral part of
the physical examination. The clinician should also ask the patient to point to where
the pain is perceived, name aggravating and alleviating factors, describe the character
of the pain (dull, lancinating, sharp, electric, radiating vs nonradiating), as well as the
extent of which the pain is interfering with sleep, driving, working, and activities of daily
living. Any antalgic positions of the neck along with restrictions in active and passive
range of motions should be noted. Cervical rotation deficits are noted mostly in upper
cervical spine issues as in atlanto-axial joint pathology. Pain radiating to the occiput
stems usually from C1 to C3 cervical pathology.16
 Neck Pain and Lower Back Pain 3

Lower cervical spine pathology can manifest with axial pain (disc herniations, disco-
genic pain, lateral osteophyte formation and uncovertebral hypertrophy, cervical zyg-
apophyseal joint hypertrophy). Neuropathic pain (radicular pain) affects most
frequently the C6 and C7 nerve roots as a result of pathology at C5 to C6 and C6 to
C7 vertebral levels. In a large prospective study conducted at Mayo Clinic for patients
treated in a nonoperative fashion, although radicular pain had a high recurrence rate
(31%), at a mean follow-up of 5.9 years, 90% of the patients experienced either
mild pain or no pain.17

Significant Physical Examination Maneuvers for Patients with Neck Pain

If tandem walk (walking a line with 1 foot in front of the other) is normal, there is a low
likelihood of cord compression or clinically significant spinal stenosis. This test can be
used as a progression of disease measure. If the L’Hermitte sign (electrical-like sen-
sations down spine or arms with passive flexion of neck) is present, one should sus-
pect cervical myelopathy because this examination finding carries a greater than 90%
specificity. A positive Spurling’s maneuver (lateral flexion and rotation to the affected
side with axial compression of the head reproducing radicular upper limb pain) is sug-
gestive of cervical neuropathic pain/radiculitis with 85% to 95% specificity and 40%
to 60% sensitivity.
Hoffmann’s sign (involuntary flexion-adduction of thumb and index finger elicited with
snapping flexion of the middle finger distal phalanx) is indicative of cervical myelopathy
or demyelinating disorder with 50% to 80% sensitivity and 78% specificity. Neck
distraction (relief of radicular upper limb symptoms when examiner grasps patient’s
head under occiput and chin and lifts, applying axial traction) indicates cervical radiculitis
secondary to nerve compression with 90% specificity and up to 50% sensitivity. Upper
limb strength testing should include assessment of hand grip, finger abduction, wrist
extension, protonation and supination of the hand, flexion and extension at the elbow,
and shoulder abduction. Deficits in strength may be indicative of myotomal weakness.
Sustained ankle clonus (>3 beats of clonus with constant brisk pressure on the sole
of the forefoot) is significant for an upper motor neuron process such as demyelinating
disease versus spinal cord compression versus spinal cord injury. Shoulder abduc-
tion, also known as the Bakody’s sign (relief of ipsilateral cervical radicular pain with
placing of the affected arm on the head through abduction of the shoulder), indicates
cervical radiculitis with up to 90% specificity with moderate reliability.18
Cervical facet joint pain correlates with poor ergonomics or a mechanism of flexion/
extension injury. Depending on the affected level, the patient may present with a
complaint of occipital or temporoparietal pain (cervicogenic headache) or upper
back and shoulder pain. Although examination findings may help to decrease suspi-
cion of other possible causes of neck pain and shoulder pain, there is no physical ex-
amination maneuver to identify cervical facet joint pain. Imaging for cervical facet joint
pain has not proven to help with diagnosis. Particularly after a whiplash injury, cervical
facet joint pain can exist without evidence of discrete facet disease on MRI or CT
scans. The diagnosis of cervical facet joint pain is well-established through controlled
fluoroscopically guided contrast-enhanced diagnostic blocks for cases where neck
pain did not resolve in a timely fashion (according to natural history).19,20

Diagnostic Workup
In patients with trauma to the head or neck, the NEXUS criteria and/or the Canadian
C-spine criteria should be used to determine the need for further imaging.14,15 History
and physical examination along with risk factors should dictate further needs for imag-
ing. Cervical spine radiographs with included flexion and extension views can determine
4 Popescu & Lee

instability (more than 3 mm difference in alignment between flexion and extensions

views) in cervical spine segments. One recent study done in a surgical practice showed
no change in clinical management based on the radiographic studies alone.21
CT scans of the cervical spine is rarely indicated in the absence of trauma and
absence of prior surgery in the neck region. MRI is the most sensitive imaging modality
for soft tissues structures (spinal cord, intervertebral disc, synovial cysts) and acute/
subacute fractures. MRI is the only modality that can determine the acuity of a frac-
ture. MRI should be considered in patients with red flag signs, progressive neurologic
deficits, and for presurgical or preprocedural evaluation. Given the high rate of radio-
logic abnormalities in asymptomatic individuals,22,23 caution should be exerted by the
physician when ordering MRIs for chronic neck pain that does not respond to conser-
vative treatment, in patients without red flag signs or neurologic deficits.
Electrodiagnostic studies constitute an extension of the physical examination. They
should be used if there is a lack of correlation between physical examination and MRI,
and to differentiate among cervical radiculopathy, peripheral nerve entrapment in the
upper limb (neuropathy), and brachial plexopathy. In cases of weakness in any myo-
tomal or nonmyotomal distribution, a physiatrist or a neurologist with electrodiagnos-
tic skills should be consulted.24
Laboratory studies are not essential for evaluating musculoskeletal neck pain, un-
less other causes of neck pain are suspected (eg, rheumatologic disorder, infection,
malignancy), in which case a complete blood count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate,
and C-reactive protein might be an appropriate panel to send as a screening labora-
tory tool.

Treatment
Any clinician who is treating neck pain with or without radiation should be aware of the
natural history of musculoskeletal neck pain.17 In one randomized trial that followed
206 patients with acute cervical radicular pain, physical therapy, a home exercise pro-
gram, and use of a hard collar significantly improved disability related to pain at
6 weeks compared with expectant (“wait and see”) treatment.25 Although there is
no singular exercise modality for neck pain, a small prospective randomized trial
demonstrated a trend toward greater improvement in the group that underwent the
McKenzie Method of physical therapy compared with general exercise and expectant
treatment. Patients may do well to work with a physical therapist trained to provide
McKenzie physical therapy.26
The evidence for alternative treatments for neck pain including massage, acupunc-
ture, manipulation, soft cervical collar, electrotherapy, and yoga being superior to
sham or other treatments is weak. These treatments are equivalent to expectant treat-
ment.27–29 The evidence for pharmacologic interventions for acute and chronic
musculoskeletal neck pain is limited. There are no high-quality studies to determine
the efficacy of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or oral steroids for
neck pain. Cyclobenzaprine at doses of 15 or 30 mg/d was proven to be significantly
more helpful than placebo for acute neck pain.30
Topical NSAID diclofenac etolamine 1.16% gel applied for acute neck pain was
proven to be more helpful than placebo at 2 and 5 days after the start of treatment
with 2 g of gel applied on the affected area up to four times daily. Efficacy assessments
included pain on movement, pain at rest, functional neck disability index, and
response to treatment (decrease in pain on movement by 50% after 48 hours). All
measures achieved statistical significance.31
There is limited evidence for treatment of cervical musculoskeletal neck pain (in
absence of clear cervical dystonia) with trigger point injections, dry needling, or
 Neck Pain and Lower Back Pain 5

botulinum toxin injections.32–34 The combination treatment with a series of cervical

epidural corticosteroid injections plus conservative treatment with adjuvants and
physical therapy was superior to either treatment alone.35 Of note, a systematic review
and meta-analysis concluded that epidural local anesthetic and/or saline constituted
an efficacious treatment, intermediate in efficacy between epidural corticosteroids
and a true intramuscular placebo injection.36
In an era where the use of care and costs associated with the episode of care for
cervical musculoskeletal neck pain have become paramount in maintaining access
for the patient in need, the referring physician has the right to inquire about the number
of epidural injections per year per new patient done by the interventionalist (injection
performing physician) to achieve symptom management.
For cervical zygapophyseal joint pain confirmed through comparative fluoroscopi-
cally guided nerve blocks, fluoroscopically guided cervical medial branch radiofre-
quency heat neurotomy is effective for abolishing zygapophysial joint pain and
carries only minor risks when performed according to Spine Intervention Society prac-
tice guidelines. The number of patients needed to treat for complete pain relief at
6 months is 2. The evidence of effectiveness is of high quality according to the GRADE
system. The referring physician should have access to the outcome data and/or medi-
cation use in patients that receive radiofrequency ablation in a certain pain practice, to
better select the best possible route for patient care.37
Spine surgery is rarely indicated for musculoskeletal axial neck pain. When neck pain
is associated with progressive neurologic deficits or spinal cord compression, a surgi-
cal opinion is indicated. Patients with cervical radiculopathy might benefit in the short
term from surgical decompression and/or fusion surgery. A randomized study that
compared combined surgery and physical therapy with physical therapy alone for cer-
vical radiculopathy found that surgery was associated with superior outcomes at 1 year,
but by 2 years, the differences between groups were no longer statistically significant.38
The evidence for the use of biological therapies, including stem cell therapy, nerve
growth factor, and cytokine inhibitors, is nonexistent for the treatment of musculoskel-
etal neck pain. Future research is needed to determine their efficacy for spinal pain
and comparative effectiveness for all types of treatments including spinal surgeries,
spine injection therapies and pharmacologic treatments.
Neck pain is the fourth leading cause of disability in the world. For patients with
acute neck pain who receive appropriate treatment, most cases resolve over a period
of weeks to months. Of note, a considerable proportion of individuals are left with re-
sidual or recurrent symptoms. History and physical examination may provide guid-
ance on referral for advance imaging and/or spine surgery or specialist consultation.
Clinical trials have found that physical therapy directed exercise programs may be
beneficial, and for acute pain muscle relaxants are effective. There is good evidence
for short-term relief (4 weeks) to control radicular arm pain with cervical epidural ste-
roid injections. In individuals with chronic axial pain secondary to zygapophyseal joint
pathology, there is high-quality evidence in favor of radiofrequency denervation. More
research studies are needed to compare efficacy, comparative effectiveness, and
costs for neck pain treatment modalities, including spine surgeries, for specific
defined cervical spine conditions.

LOWER BACK PAIN

Epidemiology
Lower back pain is the leading cause of disability and productivity loss worldwide with
a lifetime prevalence of up to 84% for the adult patient population. The lifetime
6 Popescu & Lee

prevalence of lower back pain lasting at least 2 weeks is about 14%. The 6-month
prevalence of disabling lower back pain is up to 11% of the adult patient popula-
tion.39,40 In 2010, lower back pain accounted for 1.3% of the diagnosis for an outpa-
tient office visit.41 The prevalence of activity limiting lower back pain that significantly
interferes with work and quality of life for at least 1 day is 12%. One-month prevalence
of lower back pain was estimated to be 20% to 26%.42 Patients with acute lower back
pain who present for medical care can have resolution of their symptoms in 70% to
90% of cases.43,44 Although an acute episode may resolve, up to 70% of patients
may suffer a recurrent episode of lower back pain within 1 year and 54% of them within
6 months. There is evidence that a prior episode of lower back pain has a fair predic-
tive value for a future episode of lower back pain.45,46
Although it is not necessary to determine the benign causes for lower back pain,
appropriate treatment for lower back pain conditions might decrease the chance for
patients to develop chronic pain, a symptom that might be very difficult to reverse.
In 1 recent large cohort study for the patients seen for acute lower back pain in the
primary care setting, up to 20% of patients developed chronic lower back pain at
the 2-year follow-up.46
A large study from Australia that followed 973 people with acute axial lower back
pain seen in the primary care setting found that 28% did not fully recover 12 months
after their initial consultation. Factors associated with persistence included older age,
greater baseline pain and dysfunction, depression, fear of pain persistence, and
continuing compensation claims.47
Although the number of studies that show significant change in the course of the
disease by 1 visit to 1 specialist are limited, Fox and colleagues48 show that a
patient-centric approach to lower back pain can clearly improve outcomes and
improve patient satisfaction while reducing the use of health care resources.
Patients who have at least 1 day of incapacitating lower back pain that interferes
with life and work should see a primary care specialist for assessment of symptoms
and counseling on ergonomics and activities. A consultation with a physical medicine
and rehabilitation spine specialist within 48 hours for acute pain and within 10 days for
all patients with lower back pain may significantly reduce further rate of surgical inter-
ventions and increase patients’ satisfaction.48 For patients who present to primary
care, there is an approximately 4% incidence of vertebral compression fracture for pa-
tients more than 50 years old. The incidence for neoplastic disease of the spine is less
than 0.1% for patients who obtain a study for lower back pain.49
Nontraumatic lower back pain can have different etiologies: intervertebral disc
related, vertebral body related, facet joint related, and sacroiliac joint related. In
addition, there are infectious, neoplasia (metastatic disease, lymphoma, myeloma,
retroperitoneal tumors), and inflammatory arthropathies (ankylosing spondylitis,
psoriatic arthritis) related lower back pain. Other causes that may mimic lumbar
spine pathology can be related to renal disease (nephrolithiasis, renal capsule
distension), pelvic organ pathology, aortic aneurysm or aortic pathology, or gastro-
intestinal disease (pancreatitis, gastroduodenal ulcer, etc). There are no high-quality
heterogenous patient population studies on the natural history of subtypes of lower
back and leg pain secondary to lumbar spine pathology based on anatomic pain
generators.

Natural History
There is ample evidence that 28% to 65% of patients having 1 episode of axial back
pain do not recover fully at 12 months after the initial consultation. Factors associated
with ongoing pain included older age, greater baseline pain and dysfunction,
 Neck Pain and Lower Back Pain 7

depression, and fear of pain persistence.46,47,50 Radicular lumbosacral pain has a

similar natural history, with a better chance of improvement, up to 96% at 31 months.51
However, a significant proportion (15%–40%) of patients can experience early
(<1 year) or recurrent episodes of symptoms.52 Radiologic studies show that approx-
imately two-thirds of herniated lumbar discs undergo significant (>50%) resorption
within 1 year, which can explain the natural history of radicular leg pain or lumbosacral
radiculopathy.53,54

History and Physical Examination

In patients with lower back pain, there are few history and physical examination spe-
cific findings that would guide the treatment to a specific spinal procedure or surgery.

History
Lower back pain can be classified as acute (<4 weeks), subacute (4–12 weeks), or
chronic (>12 weeks) regardless of the etiology. Lower back pain is a relatively rare
manifestation of serious medical illness.55 History elements should include any prior
episode of the current pain, location of pain with patient pointing to the area of
perceived pain, duration of symptoms, preferred relief positions and alleviating fac-
tors, and preferential direction (ie, movement of the lumbar spine or certain posi-
tion/exercise abolishes or centralizes the radiating pain to the leg). It is also
important to stratify the lower back pain as radicular (lower limb radiation) versus axial
lower back pain (no radiation to the lower limbs), determine if patient had any recent
falls, any gait abnormality, or bowel or bladder incontinence.

Physical examination
Focused physical examination can determine pathology that would require possible
further specialty care:
 Toe walk and heel walk
 Use of assistive device
 Single leg raises on the toes (10 each)
 Single leg stands up from sitting position
 Weakness in manual muscle testing
 Pathologic reflexes, upper motor neuron signs, neurologic deficits (ankle clonus,
Hoffman’s, difficulty with tandem walk)
 Preferential direction of movement
 Segmental pain with spinous process percussion (compression fracture, meta-
static disease to the spine)
Preferential direction of movement in patients with radicular or axial lower back pain
symptoms can guide the patient’s ergonomics and a physical therapy program, if
there are no concerns for neurologic weakness. Physical therapy exercises matching
the subjects’ directional preference have been shown to significantly and rapidly
decrease pain and medication use with improved outcomes.56
Myotomal weakness (leg weakness, foot drop, difficulty with balance) might be a
good reason to refer to a spine nonoperative specialist for further evaluation, discus-
sion of the prognosis of specific conditions, and discussion of the data in nonoperative
and operative literature.
Minimal trauma in the elderly and other high-risk populations can result in a spinal
compression fracture. The most sensitive examination findings are pain with forward
flexion, pain with coughing or sneezing, and pain with percussion over the spinous
processes. The patients can sometimes have a burst fracture that requires spine
8 Popescu & Lee

surgical consultation. This should be suspected if physical examination findings point

to neurologic deficits.
The risk of developing lower back pain does not seem to be influenced by weight
loss, smoking cessation, lumbar support (bracing), or chiropractic manipulations.57,58

Musculoskeletal Causes of Lower Back Pain

Discogenic pain can be the cause of lower back pain in patients with vascular ingrowth
into the disc, disc uncovering due to spondylolisthesis, or exposure of disc nerve end-
ings to inflammatory mediators. Disc-related pain is often worsened by activities like
lifting, twisting, bending forward, and a history of sitting intolerance with improvement
of pain with recumbency or standing.59
Herniated intervertebral disc refers to the anatomy of the disc on a MRI or CT scan.
With contact or compression of nearby neural structures, a herniated intervertebral
disc can manifest with radiation to the lower limb, in a dermatomal pattern with or
without myotome weakness, also referred to as lumbar radiculopathy. The natural his-
tory of lumbar radiculopathy is favorable in most patients. Myotome weakness should
trigger a consultation to a spine specialist who can further assess the deficit using
electrodiagnostic studies (nerve conduction studies). The extreme case of a lumbar
disc herniation can result in severe central stenosis with compression of the cauda
equina resulting in bilateral leg pain, weakness, bladder dysfunction, and changes
in perineal sensation. Cauda equina symptoms require emergent spine surgical
evaluation.60
Lumbar zygapophyseal (facet) joint pain can be the cause for lower back pain espe-
cially in the setting of degenerative disc disease61 or in the setting of severe degener-
ation of the zygapophyseal joint cartilage, presence of inflammatory cells and
mediators, increased vascularization, and subchondral remodeling. This may
contribute to spinal stenosis pathology.62 Despite numerous attempts to use physical
examination maneuvers to identify zygapophyseal joint pain, it was established that
only diagnostic fluoroscopically guided contrast-enhanced blocks of the nerves that
innervate the facet joints can accurately identify the pain generator.63,64 Another etiol-
ogy for axial lower back pain can be identified as a pars interarticularis defect which is
called spondylolysis and can lead to spondylolisthesis (slip of the adjacent vertebra).65
Another cause of musculoskeletal lower back pain can be sacroiliac joint pain that
occurs as a result of sacroiliitis, falls, or motor vehicle collisions.66 Lumbar spinal ste-
nosis can be associated with lower back pain and radicular limb pain. The radicular
pain is provoked by standing and walking and immediately improved with sitting
(83% specificity).67,68 Lumbar spinal stenosis can be identified clinically with positive
“shopping cart sign” (relief with leaning forward pushing a shopping cart).69

When to refer to a rehabilitation spine specialist or spine surgeon

 New back pain for patients who are 65 years or older.
 Back pain that does not improve within 4 to 5 weeks.
 Pain spreading into the lower leg, particularly if accompanied by weakness of the
leg.
 Back pain as a result of falling or an accident, especially if patients are greater
than 50 years of age.
 Pain that does not go away, even at night or when lying down.

When to refer to a spine surgeon or consider emergency room referral

 Urgent evaluation for symptomatology that uncovers weakness in 1 or both legs
or problems with bladder, bowel, or sexual dysfunction, which can be signs of
 Neck Pain and Lower Back Pain 9

cauda equina syndrome, arising from compression of the nerve bundle at the
base of the spine.
 Back pain accompanied by unexplained fever or weight loss.
 A history of lower back pain associated with prior history of cancer, a weakened
immune system, osteoporosis, or the use of corticosteroids for a prolonged
period of time.

Tests
Laboratory tests might or might not increase suspicion for a systemic cause for lower
back pain like inflammatory state, infection etiology, or tumor. A basic screen can
include an erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and complete blood
count.
Radiographs can be helpful to identify cortical bone defects including fractures,
pars defect, or instability of the spine. In cases of instability or significant spondylolis-
thesis (one of the vertebrae of the lower spine slips forward in relation to another), it is
reasonable to refer to a spine specialist.
MRI and CT scan of the lumbar spine are useful to identify more significant abnor-
malities like tumors, spondylodiscitis, osteomyelitis, or in procedural or surgical plan-
ning. These imaging modalities may be indicated in case of unresolved lower back
pain within 4 to 5 weeks. MRI is the best imaging modality to assess for soft tissue
changes (disc herniation, spine cysts, discitis). MRI with and without contrast can
differentiate between scar tissue from prior surgery from disc material.
Fluoroscopically guided contrast-enhanced diagnostic blocks performed according
to Spine Intervention Society guidelines are specific and sensitive procedures to iden-
tify or rule out a musculoskeletal structure of the spine as a pain generator.70

Treatment
Natural history (expectant progress) is the evolution of an episode of lower back pain
without medical intervention. The clinical course is the response of the lower back pain
to medical treatment. For musculoskeletal nonspecific acute lower back pain, there is
fair evidence for treatment with NSAIDs for up to 3 months.71 Despite the wide use of
NSAIDs one should consider its significant side effect profile, including cardiovascular
events, new-onset atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, stroke, heart attack, and
drug–drug interactions that can occur.72,73
There is good evidence for the use of muscle relaxers, especially non–habit-forming
(cyclobenzaprine) for the treatment of acute lower back pain.74 There is no proven su-
periority of opioids to NSAIDs and muscle relaxers for treatment of musculoskeletal
axial lower back pain. There is similar efficacy of duloxetine compared with NSAIDs
and muscle relaxers in treatment of lower back pain.75
When performed by highly skilled physicians according to the guidelines, radiofre-
quency denervation of the lumbar facet joints can provide pain relief for up to 58% of
patients who were carefully diagnosed with comparative diagnostic blocks.76 There is
good evidence that directional preference used in physical therapy sessions can
significantly improve the lower back and lower limb symptoms.56
For patients with radicular leg pain secondary to a lumbar disc herniation, transfor-
aminal epidural steroid injections have been shown to be effective. Using criteria of
reduction of pain of more than 50%, success rates across studies showed 63%
(58%–68%) at 1 month, 74% (68%–80%) at 3 months, 64% (59%–69%) at 6 months,
and 64% (57%–71%) at 1 year.77
The extensive array of physical modalities, behavioral treatments, and widely used
physical modalities including massage, acupuncture, therapeutic ultrasound
10 Popescu & Lee

treatments, yoga, Pilates, manipulative spinal therapies are not supported by the
same level of evidence as the aforementioned treatments. Any improvement may
be due to the natural time line of recovery.78–87
The goals for treatment in patients with acute musculoskeletal lower back pain is to
provide short-term symptom management. Nonpharmacologic treatment including
mechanical diagnosis and treatment and avoiding bedrest are good first steps. Anti-
inflammatory medications along with muscle relaxers can also be used. There is
controversial literature for opioid treatment in acute musculoskeletal lower back pain.
Patient education is probably the most important aspect of the initial visit for acute
lower back pain with or without radicular symptoms. There is ample evidence that
seeing a nonoperative physiatry spine specialist within 1 week can increase patient
satisfaction, decrease use of care and reduce rates of fusion spine surgeries for pa-
tients with lower back pain.48

DISCLOSURE

Nothing to disclose.

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