[IMAGING OVER-DIAGNOSIS OF LOW BACK PAIN IN PRIMARY CARE]

Lower back pain (LBP) is a common symptom among the general population. Most LBPs are classified as non-specific back pain, which is a common reason for seeking medical treatment. However, only a minority will experience a serious etiology whereas most will often present additional risk factors or symptoms.

Analyzing the current literature and common guidelines to understand the various aspects of overdiagnosing LBP in primary care.

A current literature review was conducted to investigate the connections between the data and qualitative-quantitative analysis of the data to create a structured summary. Qualitative and quantitative articles discussing, directly or indirectly, the various aspects of overdiagnosis of LBP among primary care providers were included.

Most international clinical guidelines have prioritized non-medical approaches for patients with LBP. Many healthcare providers are not designed to support this approach when guideline-compliant clinical implementation requires system-wide changes.

LBP treatment and diagnosis should pay more attention to primary care physicians as better education and regulation should be implemented to reduce overdiagnosis.

Overdiagnosis of LBP in primary care burdens the system and harms patients for many and varied reasons. The existing guidelines must be organized and assimilated among primary care physicians, along with the establishment of a sufficient and uniform comprehensive system that supports the current approach.