Dunedin Acute Back Pain Study: Identifying patients at risk to develop chronic low back pain

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Low back Pain is by far the most prevalent and most costly musculoskeletal problem in our society today. Our study aims to define outcome assessment tools of patients with acute low back pain and patient characteristics which allow the identification of patients at risk to develop chronic low back pain and at which point in time chronification becomes manifest. In this study, patients will be recruited from GP clinics in New Zealand and Switzerland. Participants will be assessed directly after attending their GP for acute back pain treatment and at different points of follow-up. Outcome assessment tools will cover disability, pain, physical and mental health. All of these tools are frequently used in outcome assessment of low back pain. This study will develop a set of outcome assessment tools for patients with acute low back pain in GP clinics showing if these patients are at risk to develop chronic low back pain. In addition, psychosocial and occupational patient characteristics will be identified which influence the course from acute to chronic low back pain. Furthermore, an appropriate point in time for follow-ups will be given to detect this transition. The international perspective of this study of patients in New Zealand and Switzerland will be an asset in terms of generalizability of our findings.