Conclusions For most clinical tests in LBP there is not consistent evidence for an association with outcome .
Central ization and non-organic signs are exceptions from that .
Background There is a strong tradition of performing a clinical examination of low back pain ( LBP ) patients and this is generally recommended in guidelines .
However , establishing a pathoanatomic diagnosis does not seem possible in most LBP patients and clinical tests may potentially be more relevant as prognostic factors .
The aim of this review of the literature was to systematic ally assess the association between low-tech clinical tests commonly used in adult patients with acute , recurrent or chronic LBP and short- and long-term outcome .
Centralization in patients with sciatica: are pain responses to repeated movement and positioning associated with outcome or types of disc lesions?
Aim To determine the frequency of different patterns of central ization and their association with outcomes and MRI findings in patients experiencing sciatica . Methods A prospect i ve longitudinal cohort study of 176 patients with radicular pain below the knee , who all had an MDT clinical assessment . Based on their pain response , patients were divided into five groups : abolition central ization , reduction central ization , unstable central ization , peripheralization , and “ no effect ” . Patients had an  MRI .  Results Overall , 84.8 % of patients reported experiencing central ization , 7.3 % peripheralized and 7.9 % reported “ no effect ” . The median reduction in RMQ scores across all the three central ization groups was 9.5 points at 3 months , and 12.0 points at 12 months . The peripheralization group improved similarly . The ‘ no effect ’ group improved significantly lower ( p < 0.001 ) , by 3.0 at both time points . Patients who central ized , and peripheralized had a significantly reduction in leg pain , the “ no effect ” group demonstrated a less favorable outcome ( p < 0.02 ) . There was no association between pain responses and the type of disc lesion . Conclusion In patients with sciatica , central ization was common and associated with improvement in activity limitation and leg pain . Central ization was very common in ruptured disc therefore the study does not support the theory , that central ization only occurs if the intra-discal hydrostatic mechanism is functional
Conclusions For most clinical tests in LBP there is not consistent evidence for an association with outcome .
Central ization and non-organic signs are exceptions from that .
Background There is a strong tradition of performing a clinical examination of low back pain ( LBP ) patients and this is generally recommended in guidelines .
However , establishing a pathoanatomic diagnosis does not seem possible in most LBP patients and clinical tests may potentially be more relevant as prognostic factors .
The aim of this review of the literature was to systematic ally assess the association between low-tech clinical tests commonly used in adult patients with acute , recurrent or chronic LBP and short- and long-term outcome .