How long does a new episode of low back pain last?

In a study by de Campos and colleagues (2023), they found:

• Median duration of a new episode of low back pain was 5 days
• 70.0% of episodes recovered before 1 week
• 90.9% of episodes recovered before 6 weeks
• 39.5% of patients sought care for the episode.

What does this mean for you?

• Most episodes of low back pain have a good prognosis and recover rapidly regardless of treatment. Recurrent episodes are common but still tend to recover quickly.
• Because recurrences are common, clinicians should provide you with the skills and confidence to self-manage most future episodes.
• It can be a good idea to try to self-manage most episodes and seek care only if it does not resolve quickly, if the episode is severe, or if you have other symptoms.

As always, consult with a trusted health professional for advice specific to you.

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References

1. Artus et al. (2010) (PMID: 20713495)
2. Artus et al. (2014) (PMID: 24607083)
3. de Campos et al. (2023) (PMID: 36692107)