JAMA: 2010-04-07, Vol. 303, No. 13, Author in the Room™ Audio Interview

Interview with Roger Chou, MD, author of Will This Patient Develop Persistent Disabling Low Back Pain? Summary Points: 1. A small proportion of patients with acute LBP go on to develop chronic LBP, these patients account for a very high proportion of costs, services, and suffering. 2. The most helpful items to predict persistent disabling low back pain are presence of maladaptive pain coping behaviors, nonorganic signs, functional impairment, general health status, and presence of psychiatric comorbidities. 3. Early identification of patients with these risk factors could help guide early use of psychological therapies and exercise therapy to reduce the likelihood that they will go on to develop chronic disabling low back pain.