Low back pain in general medical practice

AIM: To characterize prevalence and features of low back pain (LBP) in Moscow outpatients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The questionnaire designed in the Rheumatology Institute of Russian Medical Academy was used in the trial performed for a month with participation of 1300 Moscow outpatients aged 18 to 50 years. RESULTS: LBP is a frequent cause of consulting a physician in an outpatient practice. Most of the outpatients complained of acute and subacute moderate or severe LBP. This pain often caused disability. Of diagnostic tools most frequent was x-ray investigation of the spine. CONCLUSION: Spinal osteochondrosis is the most frequent diagnosis made in LBP outpatients. Detectability of threat marks in LBP patients is not more than 10%.