Research Trends and Insights in Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: Bibliometric Analysis (1996-2025)
Wei Yan1,2, Lingjun Kong3, Tianxiang He3
1Department of Clinical Medicine School, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China, shutcm.edu.cn.
Background:
Chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP) is a major global driver of disability, with increasing attention toward individualized, evidence-based, and function-oriented interventions. To delineate the global CNLBP research landscape, we conducted a bibliometric and visualization analysis covering the period from 1996 to 2025.
Methods:
Publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection, and VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R package bibliometrix were used to examine publication growth, author output, contributions by countries and institutions, journal influence, keyword co-occurrence patterns, and citation burst signals.
Results:
A total of 937 peer-reviewed articles were identified, authored by 4,336 individuals across 288 journals and 65 countries. The largest share of publications was contributed by the United States, while Australia demonstrated strong international collaboration and citation impact. Institutions such as Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, University of Southern Denmark, and University of Sydney played leading roles in CNLBP research output. Influential authors included Peter O'Sullivan and Kieran O'Sullivan, noted for contributions to psychosocial modeling and individualized rehabilitation. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified four thematic clusters: (1) disease definition and epidemiology; (2) evidence-based management and health systems; (3) neuromechanical rehabilitation strategies; and (4) psychosocial dimensions and patient-centered outcomes. Burst keyword analysis revealed recent focus on "motor control" (2021-2024), "Tampa scale" (2023-2025), and "quality of life" (2023-2025), reflecting the shift toward precision rehabilitation and multidimensional assessment.
Conclusions:
A comprehensive overview of the evolving CNLBP research landscape was provided through this bibliometric analysis. Findings underscore the transition from diagnostic exploration to integrated clinical interventions, with growing emphasis on function, psychological well-being, and personalized care pathways.