Cochrane Collaboration Assessment

This systematic review protocol is registered with PROSPERO, under the registration number CRD42017060339, and may be accessed online at

It synthesizes the results of various primary studies by using strategies that reduces biases and random errors. These reviews follow a strict scientific design and provide consistent estimates about the effects of interventions, therefore, conclusions are defensible. Systematic reviews shows where knowledge is lacking and can be used to guide future research. These reviews are usually carried out in the areas of clinical tests such as diagnostic, screening and prognostic; public health interventions; economic evaluations; adverse effects and how and why interventions work. Cochrane reviews are systematic reviews undertaken by Cochrane Collaboration members, aims to help people to make well-informed decisions about healthcare by preparing, maintaining, and promoting the accessibility of systematic reviews of the effects of healthcare

The study was a systematic review of scientific papers selected by a search of the SciELO, Cochrane, MEDLINE, and LILACS-BIREME databases. Among the 2169 articles found, 12 studies proved relevant to the issue and presented an evidence strength rating of B. No publications rated evidence strength A. Seven of the studies analyzed were prospective cohorts and 5 were cross-sectional studies.

There are some limitations to this literature review. One limitation is some of these studies may be outdated being that they are from the 1990s (i.e: Dulit et. al, 1990; Miller et. al, 1993; and Dougherty et. al, 1999). Another limitation is some of the studies were not randomized samples (i.e: Miller et. al, 1993 and Tragesser et. al, 2013). If samples are not random this could mean the results are bias.

On admission, Mr. Fountain complained of low back pain, ranging in intensity between 7 and 10, on a pain scale where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst possible pain. He subjectively described this pain as a constant ache that permeates down into both legs, anteriorly and posteriorly, but at times can be stabbing, sharp, and burning. Sitting, standing, walking or lying down for prolonged periods can aggravate his back pain, while treatment modalities such as medications, nerve block injections, medical cannabis, TENS therapy, massage, and application

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the leading causes of disability and work absence globally, affecting not just the individual, but also extending to families, communities and society at large. Whilst the prevalence of LBP is high, with over 70 percent of people experiencing some LBP at some point during their lives, most will resolve within a few months (Campbell et al, 2013). Problems arise when pain persists beyond the expected period of healing or when it exceeds 12 weeks in duration. An estimated 40 percent of people who present with acute LBP continue to report symptoms after 3 months and

Back pain is one of the most commonly reported health problems among working adults. One of the primary reasons

Low back pain (LBP) is a common condition worldwide; approximately 50-80% of adults suffer from LBP at least once during their lives [1, 2]. LBP represents a major health problem because of its prevalence, high probability of recurrence, consequences, and healthcare cost [3-6]. LBP has physical, psychological, and economic impacts on individuals. Furthermore, LBP is still the primary cause of absenteeism and disability in every industrialized society [226].

A majority of the nurses and transportation workers had a less than 5 years of experience at work. Years of experience did not seem to have a significant association with low back pain. This differed with Rahman et al. [12] who observed that job tenure along with awkward posture can cause low back pain. The prevalence of low back pain among nurses and transportation workers was analyzed in the study. The crude odds ratio of nursing reporting back pain was (OR 1.633) and transportation workers (OR 1.156). Furthermore, the association between the low back pain in the past 3 months persisted after controlling for overexertion, high demand, low control, being harassed at work, the White race, married and having more than one minor child. As the majority of the nursing workforce comprised of females, being married and having children seemed to increase the low back pain as in addition to their jobs they have to take care of house and kids. [11]. About 13.59% nurses had more than one job which could contribute to low back pain especially if the other job is also physically demanding. A majority of nurse reported low back pain, however, they did not perceive the pain as work-related. Less than 1% discussed the low back pain with their doctors. The reason could be that with intermittent pain, nurses try to take medications regularly to alleviate the pain. [10] However, medications only provide short-term relief,

Method: Eleven subjects ranging in age from 18 - 65 were selected based on diagnosis of leg and low back pain. Those who participated in this study reported pain no longer than six months and no less than one month. These patients were screened using a standardized lumbar spine evaluation. Patients AROM, flexibility, medical history, strength, gait, neurology, and soft tissue were also evaluated and measured prior to testing. The test was designed using an A-B-A design where A is the baseline condition and B was intervention with the use of the PBWS. The

Low back pain is a highly prevalent socioeconomic health issue in the world we live in today and one of the top causes of disability - affecting work performance and the overall quality of life for many. The 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study estimated that out of 289 health conditions, low back pain ranked number one in terms of disability (YLDs - Years Lived with Disability), and sixth in terms of overall burden (DALYs - Disability-Adjusted Life Years) (Lancet, 2012). It is estimated that 60% to 70% of the industrialized population will experience non-specific (most common type) low back pain in their lifetimes with a one-year prevalence of 15% to 45%, adults occurring 5% per year (Taimela, Kujala, Salminen, Viljanen, 1997, 1132-1136). Children and adolescents have a lower prevalence rate than adults, but is rapidly on the rise (Balague, Troussier, Salminen, 1999, 429-438).

Chronic low back pain has been shown to have a significant impact on individuals, their families, professional life, and communities. It is one of the most common health problems causing suffering and disability, and it is a leading cause of physical inactivity. In addition to the physical impairments and professional detriments, chronic low back pain increases the financial burden to the healthcare system by augmenting medical treatment costs. Muscle strengthening activity, on the other side, has been used clinically to treat low back pain. However, there is an inconclusive data regarding the preventative effect of muscle strengthening activity on low back pain. Thus, we wanted to see if being engaged in muscle strengthening activity reduces

Low back pain is a prevalent condition in which people seek medical care. Even after receiving medial treatment, a large number of people will continue to experience back pain 3 months later.1 After experiencing low back pain for 3 months, the condition is then referred to as chronic. Chronic conditions can lead to problems at work, depression, anxiety, and reduced quality of life. Physical therapists are providers that are commonly sought for their services to help treat chronic low back pain. The way physical therapists interact and develop a therapeutic alliance with patients has been a topic of studies. There have also been studies that research how a positive therapeutic alliance can have an effect on treatment outcomes with patients with chronic low back pain.

The single leading cause of disability worldwide is low back pain (LBP) (Salomon et al., 2013). In the U.S, approximately 80 percent of adults experience back pain sometime in their life, with a total health care expenditure of 90.7 billion in 1998 (Luo, Pietrobon, Sun, Liu, & Hey, 2004). LBP is the second most frequent systematic reason for visits to primary healthcare providers (Hart, Deyo, Cherkin, 1995) and is usually recurrent with exacerbations that tend to increase in severity. The total costs of LBP in the United States exceed $100 billion per year (Katz, 2006).

Cullen and Gendreau compare and contrast the many studies on this subject, the meta-analyses conclusions, their strengths, weaknesses, inconsistencies, and the trends that follow the studies