Warwick contributes to new global research into low back pain

Low back pain affects 540 million people worldwide, but too many patients receive the wrong care. Worldwide, overuse of inappropriate tests and treatments such as imaging, opioids and surgery means patients are not receiving the right care, and resources are wasted. Low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, affecting an estimated 540 million people at any one time. Expertise from the University of Warwick has contributed to a new Series of papers in The Lancet which highlights the extent to which the condition is mistreated, often against best practice treatment guidelines. Evidence suggests that low back pain should be managed in primary care, with the first line of treatment being education and advice to keep active and at work. However, in reality, a high proportion of patients worldwide are treated in emergency departments, encouraged to rest and stop work, are commonly referred for scans or surgery, or prescribed pain killers including opioids, which are discouraged for treating low back pain. The Series reviews evidence from highand low-income countries that suggests that many of the mistakes of high-income countries are already well established in low-income and middle-income countries.