SynthesisCMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne2024
The clinical course of acute, subacute and persistent low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph
Synthesis in CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 46 papers.
0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
46citing papers in PubMed
33.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
46 citing papers in PubMed, 75 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effect Modifiers of Graded Sensorimotor Retraining for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Secondary Analysis of the RESOLVE Randomized Trial.JAMA network open · 2026Trial
- A Study of 60 Patients with Low Back Pain to Compare Outcomes Following Magnetotherapy, Ultrasound, Laser, and Electrotherapy with and without Lumbosacral Kinesiotherapy.Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research · 2024Trial
- Migu Capsules in the Treatment of Osteoporotic Low Back Pain in Postmenopausal Women: A Single-Center Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of pain research · 2024Trial
- Convergent validity of the position-reposition and thoracolumbar dissociation tests in patients with recurrent low back pain in remission.Brazilian journal of physical therapy · 2026Article
- Comment on "A cost-utility analysis of pharmacopuncture versus physiotherapy for chronic low back pain: A multicenter, pragmatic randomized controlled trial".Integrative medicine research · 2026Article
- Associations between different sports and low back pain: a population-based study with a 15-year follow-up.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Article
- Five-Year Trajectories of Disability in Older Adults Seeking Care for Back Pain in the Netherlands: BACE-Dutch Cohort.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2026Article
- A Hospital Avoidance Pathway With Digitally Supported Follow-Up for Low Back Pain: An Alternative to Emergency Department Care.Academic emergency medicine : official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine · 2026Article
- Long-Term Effectiveness and Safety of Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation for Persistent Spinal Pain Syndrome: Results From an Expanded Prospective Registry.Pain practice : the official journal of World Institute of Pain · 2026Article
- Exosomes derived from senescent skeletal muscle cells aggravate nucleus pulposus cell metabolic dysregulation via p38MAPK pathway for promoting intervertebral disc degeneration.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Article
- Efficacy of spinal manipulative therapy in older adults with chronic spinal conditions: an updated systematic review.The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association · 2026Article
- Impact of the MAINTAIN instrument on clinical decision-making for new spinal pain patients: a cross-sectional study.The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association · 2026Article
- CLARIX FLO Inhibits DRG Adhesion-Induced Neuropathic Pain Through the CD44-TRPV1 Signaling Pathway.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Low Back Pain Among Employees of the Qassim Health Cluster: Prevalence, Patterns, and Predictive Factors.Cureus · 2026Article
- Article
- Predicting low back pain-related absenteeism in the Spanish general working population.Occupational and environmental medicine · 2026Observational
- Sensory Organization and Postural Control Strategies During Quiet Standing in People with Acute Low Back Pain: A Case-Control Study.The archives of bone and joint surgery · 2026Article
- Transforaminal intradiscal steroid injection versus transforaminal epidural steroid injection for chronic discogenic low back pain with active discopathy: a randomized controlled trial protocol.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Comparative evaluation of short vs. long needles in deep ultrasound-guided pharmacopuncture for acute low back pain: study protocol.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Research Progress of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Chronic Pain Management: A Narrative Review.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.
Sarah B WallworkIIMPACT in Health (Wallwork, Braithwaite, Moseley), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia; Persistent Pain Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (Braithwaite), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Musculoskeletal Health (O'Keeffe), School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Health Sciences and Physiotherapy (Travers), University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Australia; School of Biomedical Science (Summers), Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia; Caring Futures Institute (Lange), College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Health Research (Hince), Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery and Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia; Masters and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy (Costa, Menezes Costa), Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; UniSA STEM (Chiera), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia sarah.wallwork@unisa.edu.au.
Felicity A BraithwaiteIIMPACT in Health (Wallwork, Braithwaite, Moseley), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia; Persistent Pain Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (Braithwaite), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Musculoskeletal Health (O'Keeffe), School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Health Sciences and Physiotherapy (Travers), University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Australia; School of Biomedical Science (Summers), Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia; Caring Futures Institute (Lange), College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Health Research (Hince), Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery and Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia; Masters and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy (Costa, Menezes Costa), Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; UniSA STEM (Chiera), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia.
Mary O'KeeffeIIMPACT in Health (Wallwork, Braithwaite, Moseley), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia; Persistent Pain Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (Braithwaite), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Musculoskeletal Health (O'Keeffe), School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Health Sciences and Physiotherapy (Travers), University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Australia; School of Biomedical Science (Summers), Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia; Caring Futures Institute (Lange), College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Health Research (Hince), Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery and Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia; Masters and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy (Costa, Menezes Costa), Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; UniSA STEM (Chiera), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia.
Mervyn J TraversIIMPACT in Health (Wallwork, Braithwaite, Moseley), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia; Persistent Pain Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (Braithwaite), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Musculoskeletal Health (O'Keeffe), School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Health Sciences and Physiotherapy (Travers), University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Australia; School of Biomedical Science (Summers), Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia; Caring Futures Institute (Lange), College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Health Research (Hince), Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery and Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia; Masters and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy (Costa, Menezes Costa), Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; UniSA STEM (Chiera), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia.
Simon J SummersIIMPACT in Health (Wallwork, Braithwaite, Moseley), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia; Persistent Pain Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (Braithwaite), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Musculoskeletal Health (O'Keeffe), School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Health Sciences and Physiotherapy (Travers), University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Australia; School of Biomedical Science (Summers), Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia; Caring Futures Institute (Lange), College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Health Research (Hince), Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery and Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia; Masters and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy (Costa, Menezes Costa), Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; UniSA STEM (Chiera), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia.
Belinda LangeIIMPACT in Health (Wallwork, Braithwaite, Moseley), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia; Persistent Pain Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (Braithwaite), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Musculoskeletal Health (O'Keeffe), School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Health Sciences and Physiotherapy (Travers), University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Australia; School of Biomedical Science (Summers), Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia; Caring Futures Institute (Lange), College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Health Research (Hince), Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery and Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia; Masters and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy (Costa, Menezes Costa), Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; UniSA STEM (Chiera), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia.
Dana A HinceIIMPACT in Health (Wallwork, Braithwaite, Moseley), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia; Persistent Pain Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (Braithwaite), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Musculoskeletal Health (O'Keeffe), School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Health Sciences and Physiotherapy (Travers), University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Australia; School of Biomedical Science (Summers), Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia; Caring Futures Institute (Lange), College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Health Research (Hince), Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery and Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia; Masters and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy (Costa, Menezes Costa), Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; UniSA STEM (Chiera), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia.
Leonardo O P CostaIIMPACT in Health (Wallwork, Braithwaite, Moseley), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia; Persistent Pain Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (Braithwaite), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Musculoskeletal Health (O'Keeffe), School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Health Sciences and Physiotherapy (Travers), University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Australia; School of Biomedical Science (Summers), Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia; Caring Futures Institute (Lange), College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Health Research (Hince), Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery and Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia; Masters and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy (Costa, Menezes Costa), Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; UniSA STEM (Chiera), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia.
Luciola da C Menezes CostaIIMPACT in Health (Wallwork, Braithwaite, Moseley), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia; Persistent Pain Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (Braithwaite), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Musculoskeletal Health (O'Keeffe), School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Health Sciences and Physiotherapy (Travers), University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Australia; School of Biomedical Science (Summers), Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia; Caring Futures Institute (Lange), College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Health Research (Hince), Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery and Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia; Masters and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy (Costa, Menezes Costa), Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; UniSA STEM (Chiera), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia.
Belinda ChieraIIMPACT in Health (Wallwork, Braithwaite, Moseley), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia; Persistent Pain Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (Braithwaite), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Musculoskeletal Health (O'Keeffe), School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Health Sciences and Physiotherapy (Travers), University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Australia; School of Biomedical Science (Summers), Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia; Caring Futures Institute (Lange), College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Health Research (Hince), Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery and Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia; Masters and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy (Costa, Menezes Costa), Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; UniSA STEM (Chiera), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia.
G Lorimer MoseleyIIMPACT in Health (Wallwork, Braithwaite, Moseley), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia; Persistent Pain Research Group, Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology (Braithwaite), South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Musculoskeletal Health (O'Keeffe), School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; School of Health Sciences and Physiotherapy (Travers), University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Australia; School of Biomedical Science (Summers), Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Australia; Caring Futures Institute (Lange), College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Institute for Health Research (Hince), Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery and Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia; Masters and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy (Costa, Menezes Costa), Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; UniSA STEM (Chiera), University of South Australia, Kaurna Country, Adelaide, Australia.
South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute · AUQueensland University of Technology · AUUniversity of Sydney · AUFlinders University · AUUniversidade Cidade de São Paulo · BRUniversity of South Australia · AU
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundUnderstanding the clinical course of low back pain is essential to informing treatment recommendations and patient stratification. Our aim was to update our previous systematic review and meta-analysis to gain a better understanding of the clinical course of acute, subacute and persistent low back pain.
methodsTo update our 2012 systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched the Embase, MEDLINE and CINAHL databases from 2011 until January 2023, using our previous search strategy. We included prospective inception cohort studies if they reported on participants with acute (< 6 wk), subacute (6 to less than 12 wk) or persistent (12 to less than 52 wk) nonspecific low back pain at study entry. Primary outcome measures included pain and disability (0-100 scale). We assessed risk of bias of included studies using a modified tool and assessed the level of confidence in pooled estimates using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) tool. We used a mixed model design to calculate pooled estimates (mean, 95% confidence interval [CI]) of pain and disability at 0, 6, 12, 26 and 52 weeks. We treated time in 2 ways: time since study entry (inception time uncorrected) and time since pain onset (inception time corrected). We transformed the latter by adding the mean inception time to the time of study entry.
resultsWe included 95 studies, with 60 separate cohorts in the systematic review (
interpretationParticipants with acute and subacute low back pain had substantial improvements in levels of pain and disability within the first 6 weeks ( moderate-certainty evidence); however, participants with persistent low back pain had high levels of pain and disability with minimal improvements over time (very low-certainty evidence). Identifying and escalating care in individuals with subacute low back pain who are recovering slowly could be a focus of intervention to reduce the likelihood of transition into persistent low back pain. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO - CRD42020207442.
Indexed as
Acute PainLow Back PainDatabases, FactualDisease ProgressionHumansProspective Studies
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