Classification, diagnostic pathway, and outcome measures in patients with low back pain: Guidelines of the Croatian Society of Vertebrology
Autori:
Simeon Grazio, Arijana Lovrenčić-Huzjan, Marija Ivica, Rudolf Vukojević, Alemka Krajač-Čupić, Frane Grubišić, Karlo Houra, Nadic Laktašić Žerjavić, Tatjana Nikolić, Porin Perić, Darko Perović, Tea Schnurrer Luke Vrbanić, Tonko Vlak, Helena Markulin, Lea Škorić, Vladimir Trkulja
Sažetak
Summary
Objective. To develop national guidelines for classification, diagnosis and outcome measures in low back pain. Methods. A systematic literature review and evaluation by a multidisciplinary panel, and recommendations formulated using the GRADE method, a voting and consensus process. Results. Twenty three recommendations were defined, of which 14 are strongly recommended and nine are conditionally recommended. Strong recommendations relate to the standard definition of low back pain, classification of low back pain according to duration into acute (<6 weeks), subacute (6–12 weeks), and chronic low back pain (>12 weeks), with the additional term “breaking pain / acute exacerbation of chronic low back pain”, etiological classification into nonspecific low back pain and specific low back pain (including that associated with serious conditions), and low back pain with radiculopathy, where the term “lumboischialgia” can also be used, history and clinical assessment as the basis for establishing the initial diagnosis and treatment approach, warning signs of serious pathology being taken into account in the acute and subacute phases of low back pain. Also strongly recommended are: the uselessness of laboratory tests for the evaluation of non-specific low back pain (although they may be useful in differential diagnosis), the absence of an indication for the use of imaging diagnostics in acute low back pain, and the absence of “red flags”, recommendation for imaging methods in case of suspicion of serious pathology within the specific causes of low back pain, use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (if MRI is contraindicated) if invasive/surgical intervention is being considered, and imaging diagnostics may be regarded as in the case of significant disability due to chronic low back pain (after three months), while there is no indication for its repeating if there is no change in symptoms. Electromyography (EMG) is not recommended in acute low back
pain, but can be done in the case of long-term and pronounced subacute/chronic low back pain with radiculopathy. It is also strongly recommended that outcome measures, especially patient-reported outcomes, should be standard clinical practice. The instruments for assessing pain intensity are the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the numerical pain scale (NRS). Conclusion. Strong and conditional recommendations have been defined on the classification, importance of diagnostic procedures, and outcome measures in patients with low back pain.