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 .
Course of back pain in primary care: a prospective study of physical measures.
OBJECTIVE To describe physical measures used in patients with back pain when no specific treatment is given , to examine associations between change over time in these measures and changes in pain and back-related disability , and to study the value of physical measures at baseline and at a 4-week follow-up to predict outcome at 12 months . DESIGN A prospect i ve consecutive study . SUBJECTS Forty-four patients presenting with low back pain in primary care . METHODS The patients underwent a physical examination at baseline and at 4 weeks . Follow-up was carried out using question naires until 12 months . Linear regression was used to identify predictors . RESULTS Most measures had improved significantly at the 4-week follow-up . Thoracolumbar rotation , isometric endurance back extensors , and fingertip-to-floor distance at 4 weeks were significant predictors for pain intensity and back-related disability at the 12-month follow-up . Eighteen out of 44 patients reported an increase in pain after the assessment of the physical measures at baseline . This group of patients improved more in physical measures between baseline and the 4-week follow-up . CONCLUSION Physical measures assessed at the 4-week follow-up , but not at baseline , could provide important additional information for identifying those patients at risk for worse outcome in pain or back-related disability at 12 months
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 .