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Back Pain Algorithm-Final-2
Back Pain Algorithm-Final-2
Initial assessment
2) Screen for risk factors for long-term disability and work loss with YELLOW FLAGS
a. Screening questions:
-Have you had time off work in the past with back pain?
-What do you understand is the cause of your back pain?
-What are you expecting will help you?
-How is your employer responding to your back pain? Your co-workers? Your family?
-What are you doing to cope with back pain?
-Do you think that you will return to work? When?
b. Questionnaires:
-Pain intake form
-Pain catastrophising scale
-Pain self efficacy scale
1
4) For lower limb pain, differentiate referred pain from radiculopathy
2
Flowchart for Management of Back Pain at Combined Neurosurgery Pain Clinic:
Red flags?
No
Yes
Note Yellow flags MRI
Potential surgical
candidate?
Yes
No MRI
Eligible
Eligible for block?
for block?
Yes
No
Regional
block
No
Eligible for
No surgery?
Yes
Explanatory notes
3
I. Surgery:
-Decompression
-Stabilization
1) Red flags
2) New onset of neurological impairment
3) Severe pain with disability persists after non-operative treatment > 6 weeks
Indication of discogram:
II. Pharmacology
III. Intervention
b. epidural steroid
1) For radiculopathy only (regardless of pathology, eg: spinal stenosis, PID, Post-spine surgery, etc.)
2) Consider repeat if pain is responsive (> 6 weeks) up to 6 times per year
3) Trans-foraminal approach (i.e. nerve root block) preferred especially with documented root
compression or previous surgery. Other approaches include caudal and interlaminer approach.
4) X-ray with contrast is required for caudal and trans-foraminal approaches, and is recommended for
interlaminar approach.
c. Facet or SI joint
1) For paramedian spinal tenderness +/- referred pain only, esp. when provoked by extension
2) Joint or nerve injection will depend on anatomy upon fluoroscopy. In general the median branch
block is preferred to joint injection
3) Consider repeat joint blocks if pain is responsive (> 4 weeks) up to 6 times per year.
4) Consider radiofrequency lesioning of median branch if nerve block is positive (immediate) up to 4
times per year
Discharge
References
5
1) Adult low back pain. Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI); 2004. National Guideline
Clearinghouse. www.guideline.gov
2) Back pain. Australian Family Physician June 2004 Vol. 33; 6
3) Australian management strategies for oral opioid use in non-malignant pain Goucke. European
Journal of Pain 2001; 5(Supp. A): 99-101
4) Evidence based practice guidelines for interventional techniques in the management of chronic
spinal pain. American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. Pain Physicians 2003; 6: 3-81
5) Chronic pain management: a paradigm. Chen. The Hong Kong Pracitioner 2004; 26:277-284
6) Guide to assessing psychosocial yellow flags in acute low back pain: Risk factors for long-term
disability and work loss. National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability. January 1997
edition
7) Lumbar discography. Position statement from the North American Spine Society Diagnostic and
Therapeutic Committee. Guyer. Spine 1995; 15;20(18):2048-59