Emergency Department Management of Low Back Pain: A Comparative Review of Guidelines and Practices

Alec M Werthman; Brayden D Jolley; Andrew Rivera; Melissa A Rusli

doi:10.7759/cureus.53712

Emergency Department Management of Low Back Pain: A Comparative Review of Guidelines and Practices

Cureus. 2024 Feb 6;16(2):e53712. doi: 10.7759/cureus.53712. eCollection 2024 Feb.

Authors

Alec M Werthman¹, Brayden D Jolley¹, Andrew Rivera¹, Melissa A Rusli¹

Affiliation

¹ Internal Medicine, Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, Lakeland, USA.

Abstract

This narrative review examines the current best practices and guidelines for integrating pharmacologic interventions, imaging, and physiotherapy in the management of low back pain. The review also explores how patient factors such as age, sex, comorbidities, and prevalent pathologies/diagnoses influence the choice and effectiveness of these treatment approaches.

Keywords: acute low back pain; chronic lower back pain; chronic pain; opioid use; pain alleviation; treating low-back pain.

Publication types

Review