Low Back Pain

What is Low Back Pain?

Low back pain (LBP) is a long-term health condition with a variable clinical course of multiple interrelated episodes, being estimated that about 50-80% of the population will experience it at some point in their lives. It is described as “pain in the area between the lower border of the 12th ribs to the lower gluteal folds, with or without referred pain to the lower limbs”. When maintained for more than three months, LBP is also called chronic or persistent, occurring in about 5-10% of the population which may increase in certain populations.

What is the prognosis?

Most episodes have a favourable prognosis, but recurrence is common. About 33-70% of people who recover from a LBP episode, experience a recurrence within a year of which 40% seek healthcare. Recurrences are the main event responsible for healthcare seeking, issuing sickness certificates and limitations in daily routine, with a great impact on the consumption of healthcare resources. In addition, recurrent episodes exacerbate the possibility of developing persistent disabling LBP, contributing even more to the individual, social and economic impact of this condition.

I no longer have pain in my lower back. And now? What can I do to prevent a new episode?

Recent studies showed that the treatment given for an episode of LBP is not enough to prevent future recurrences, even when this treatment is intended to prevent them. Therefore, it is necessary to attend a specific treatment program after recovering from your LBP. To be effective, these programs must include a combination of exercise and behaviour change strategies. The few existing studies on specific programs for the prevention of recurrence indicate that the combination of education and exercise reduces the risk of a new episode of LBP in the medium and long term.