[Clinical guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of acute low back pain]

The purpose of clinical practice guidelines is to delineate an evidence-based common approach to a prevalent medical problem. A decade ago, Guidelines for Acute Low Back Pain (ALBP) care were published in Israel. This year, updated and upgraded guidelines were disseminated, sponsored by the IMA. In the present paper a summary of the new ALBP is reported, as well as a comparison with the prior 1996 guidelines. An evidence tag is attached to each recommendation, enabling the practitioner to examine his deliberations against the existing evidence. The guidelines are adapted from a recent European multidisciplinary document and will remain valid with periodic updating. Clinical practice guidelines are not intended to replace your careful clinical judgment and personal acquaintance with the patient in front of you. They may support your decisions by bringing you a summary of the existing evidence in the domain.