Low back pain is a leading cause of disability, significantly impacting the lives of many. Approximately one in four American adults report low back pain within (LBP) the previous 3 months that lasted at least 24 hours and 7.6% of adults report at least one episode of severe acute low back pain within a 1-year period. Generally, LBP has a good prognosis with most non-specific acute and sub-acute episodes significantly improving within 6 weeks. However, approximately 2 out of 3 individuals continue to experience pain at 3 months and 12 months.

 

Most guidelines recommend that for acute LBP, a first line care approach should be offered, consisting of advice, reassurance, and encouragement to engage in light physical activity. For second line treatment, a range of options exist including pharmacological and physical therapy. However, the relative effects of interventions when compared against other interventions are not well known. Therefore, this systematic review aims to understand the efficacy of currently available treatments for acute and subacute mechanical non-specific low back pain.