Acute Back Syndrome--A Study from General Practice

an important cause of industrial disability (Troup, 1965), little discussion of it is given in the standard textbooks of orthopaedics. As the aetiology, pathology, and prognosis are all obscure, this lack of attention is understandable. To many minds acute lower back pain, with or without sciatica, suggests as a first possibility prolapsed lumbar intervertebral disc; to others the "osteopathic lesion" is the common explanation (Stoddard, 1959). This paper represents an attempt to measure the incidence of " acute backs " in one general practice and to note if a cause such as back strain is often present. An effort has also been made to discover if any aspects of the clinical condition have a significant influence on the duration of the initial attack or the liability to recurrence.