OUTCOME OF LOW-BACK-PAIN IN GENERAL-PRACTICE - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

Objectives: To investigate the claim that 90% of episodes of low back pain that present to general practice have resolved within one month. Design: Prospective study of all adults consulting in general practice because of low back pain over 12 months with follow up at 1 week, 3 m onths, and 12 months after consultation. Setting: Two general practice s in south Manchester. Subjects: 490 subjects (203 men, 287 women) age d 18-75 years. Main outcome measures: Proportion of patients who have ceased to consult with low back pain after 3 months; proportion of pat ients who are free of pain and back related disability at 3 and 12 mon ths. Results: Annual cumulative consultation late among adults in the practices was 6.4%. Of the 463 patients who consulted with a new episo de of low back pain, 275 (59%) had only a single consultation, and 150 (32%) had repeat consultations confined to the 3 months after initial consultation. However, of those interviewed at 3 and 12 months follow up, only 39/188 (21%) and 42/170 (25%) respectively had completely re covered in terms of pain and disability. Conclusions: The results are 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 low back pain a nd related disability one year after consultation.