Low Back Pain Research Highlights Part 1: Diagnosis and Prognosis

Date Posted:

May 2026

Study Title:

Low back pain research highlights from the last 5 years, Part 1: diagnosis and prognosis

Authors:

Pinto RZ, Lin CWC, Maher CG, et al.

 

Low back pain (LBP) remains one of the most common and disabling musculoskeletal conditions worldwide, and most people presenting in primary care have non-specific LBP rather than pain with a clearly identifiable pathoanatomical cause. It is also the most common reason people seek chiropractic care. 

Although recovery after an acute episode is common, the long-term course of LBP varies considerably and may include recurrent flare-ups or persistent symptoms influenced by biological, psychological, societal, and work-related factors.

Clinical practice guidelines provide direction on identifying serious pathology, using imaging appropriately, recognizing psychosocial barriers to recovery, and communicating prognosis. Even so, variation in care remains widespread, in part because clinicians continue to face uncertainty around red flags, imaging decisions, prognosis, and how best to communicate these issues to patients.

This paper is the first in a two-part narrative review series (featuring physiotherapy and chiropractic authors) summarizing recent LBP research to inform clinical practice. In Part 1, the authors focused on diagnosis and prognosis, with attention to serious pathology screening, imaging, diagnostic uncertainty, clinical course, and prognostic factors and prediction models.