Managing acute back pain patients to avoid the transition to chronic pain

Chronic back pain is a major source of disability, decreased quality of life and healthcare costs. Treating chronic back pain is difficult, with even effective therapies only being modestly effective. Helping patients avoid the transition from acute to chronic low back pain is a promising strategy for preventing suffering and reducing healthcare utilization. The biopsychosocial model provides a useful framework for understanding factors that contribute to chronicity in low back pain, and are important targets for interventions. This article reviews recent research on predictors of chronicity and treatment strategies in higher risk patients that may be helpful for preventing chronicity.