HIDER 2 2.2.4 FULL

Hence most back pain national and international guidelines recommend assessing, diagnosing and addressing back related leg pain early in the presentation of patients complaining of back problems, so that treatment can be prioritised and delivered to this subset of LBP patients with increased risk of poor prognosis. However, there is an inherent contradiction in the guidelines as despite the call for accurate and early diagnosis of low back related leg pain, the recommendations for initial treatment of patients with leg pain, including sciatica, appear to be similar to those for non-specific LBP.

HIDER 2 2.2.4 FULL

One reason for this confusion and lack of clarity in the guidelines relates to the poor evidence base regarding outcome and treatment effectiveness for LBP patients with related leg pain.įew studies exist which describe the characteristics and clinical course of the full range of patients seeking care for low back and leg pain/sciatica. Most studies focus on patients with back pain alone, include mixed populations with back and leg pain (without differentiating between them), or are concerned with describing the characteristics of highly selected populations from tertiary care settings (including surgical candidates). Robust evidence regarding the epidemiology of low back related leg pain (including sciatica) is lacking from primary care, the setting where the majority of these patients will present and be managed.

Information about the broad group of patients with LBP and leg pain presenting to primary care will contribute to our understanding of the characteristics and clinical features of this population, and will help patients, health care practitioners and managers better define and deliver appropriate health care provision. The main objective of this study is to describe the characteristics, imaging findings and clinician defined specific diagnosis, in patients with low back and leg pain seeking treatment in a primary care setting.

Hider 2 2.2.4