Covering all commonly used interventions for acute and chronic low back pain conditions, this book consolidates current scientific studies and research evidence into a single, practical resource. Its multidisciplinary approach covers a wide scope of treatments from manual therapies to medical interventions to surgery, organizing interventions from least to most invasive. Editors Simon Dagenais and Scott Haldeman, along with expert contributors from a variety of clinical and academic institutions throughout the world, focus on the best available scientific evidence, summarizing the results from the strongest to the weakest types of studies. No other book makes it so easy to compare the different interventions and treatment approaches, giving you the tools to make better, more informed clinical decisions.

Foreword / Charles Branch -- Section 1: Introduction: -- Evidence-based management of low back pain / Simon Dagenais and Scott Haldeman -- Guide to using this textbook / Simon Dagenais and Scott Haldeman -- Assessment of low back pain / Simon Dagenais, Andrea C Tricco and Scott Haldeman -- Management of acute low back pain / Simon Dagenais, Andrea C Tricco and Scott Haldeman -- Section 2: Education: -- Physical activity, smoking cessation, and weight loss / Eugene K Wai, Sebastian Rodriquez-Elizalde, Simon Dagenais and Hamilton Hall -- Watchful waiting and brief education / Ben B Pradhan, Jens Ivar Brox and Aage Indahl -- Back schools and fear avoidance training / Jens Ivar Brox, Kjersti Storheim, Margreth Grotle, Torill Helene Tveito, Aage Indahl and Hege R Eriksen -- Section 3: Exercise: -- Lumbar stabilization exercise / Simon Dagenais and John Mayer -- Lumbar strengthening exercise / John Mayer, Vert Mooney and Simon Dagenais -- McKenzie method / Stephen May and Ronald Donelson -- Section 4: Medication: -- Common analgesics / Gerard A Malanga and Erin T Wolff -- Opioid analgesics / Jerome Schofferman and Daniel Mazanec -- Adjunctive analgesics / Victor H Chang, Peter G Gonzalez and Venu Akuthota -- Section 5: Physical Modalities: -- Electrotherapeutic modalities and physical agents / Stephane Poitras and Lucie Brosseau -- Traction therapy / Ralph E Gay and Jeffrey S Brault -- Section 6: Manual Therapies: -- Massage therapy / Marta Imamura, Andrea D Furlan, Trish Dryden and Emma L Irvin -- Spinal manipulation and mobilization / Gert Bronfort, Mitchell Haas, Roni Evans, Gregory Kawchuk and Simon Dagenais -- Medicine-assisted manipulation therapy / Simon Dagenais, John Mayer and Scott Haldeman -- Section 7: Complementary And Alternative Medical Therapies: -- Nutritional, herbal, and homeopathic supplements / Joel J Gagnier -- Needle acupuncture / Carlo Ammendolia, Andrea D Furlan, Mara Imamura, Emma L Irvin and Maurits van Tulder -- Section 8: Behavioral Therapies: -- Cognitive behavioral therapy / Robert J Gatchel and Kathryn H Rollings -- Functional restoration / Robert J Gatchel and Tom G Mayer -- Section 9: Injection Therapies: -- Epidural steroid injections / Michael J DePalma and Curtis W Slipman -- Trigger point injections / Gerard A Malanga and Erin T Wolff -- Prolotherapy / Simon Dagenais, John Mayer, Scott Haldeman and Joanne Borg-Stein -- Section 10: Minimally Invasive Therapies: -- Lumbar medial branch neurotomy / Nikolai Bogduk -- Intradiscal thermal therapies / Richard Derby, Ray M Baker, Irina L Melnik, Jeong-Eun Lee, Chang-Hyung Lee and Paul A Anderson -- Nucleoplasty / Richard Derby, Ray M Baker and Chang-Hyung Lee -- Section 11: Surgical Therapies: -- Decompression surgery / Eugen K Wai, Darren M Roffey, Andrea C Tricco and Simon Dagenais -- Fusion surgery and disc arthroplasty / Eugen K Wai, Darren M Roffey, Andrea C Tricco, Angus Shane Don and Simon Dagenais --Conclusion -- Answers to review questions -- Glossary -- Index.