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May 23, 2013
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Back Pain (cont.)

Medical Author:
William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Medical Editor:
Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP
Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP
Jerry R. Balentine, DO, FACEP

Dr. Balentine received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in1983. He completed his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia and his Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx, where he served as chief resident.

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Low Back Pain Prognosis

The prognosis for people with acute back pain associated with red flags (described above) depends on the underlying cause of the pain.

  • Up to 90% of people experience an episode of back pain without other health concerns, and their symptoms will go away on their own within a month. For about half, back pain may return.


  • About 80% of people with sciatica will eventually recover, with or without surgery. The recovery period is much longer than for uncomplicated, acute back pain.


  • You can improve your chances of early recovery by staying active and avoiding more than two days of relative bed rest.

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Back Pain - Cause

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Back Pain - Treatment

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Read What Your Physician is Reading on Medscape

Back Pain, Mechanical »

Mechanical low back pain is one of the most common patient complaints expressed to emergency physicians in the United States accounting for more than 6 million cases annually.

Read More on Medscape Reference »


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