We identified 15 clinical practice guidelines for the management of low back pain in primary care. For diagnosis of patients with non-specific low back pain, the clinical practice guidelines recommend history taking and physical examination to identify red flags, neurological testing to identify radicular syndrome, use of imaging if serious pathology is suspected (but discourage routine use), and assessment of psychosocial factors. For treatment of patients with acute low back pain, the guidelines recommend reassurance on the favourable prognosis and advice on returning to normal activities, avoiding bed rest, the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and weak opioids for short periods. For treatment of patients with chronic low back pain, the guidelines recommend the use of NSAIDs and antidepressants, exercise therapy, and psychosocial interventions. In addition, referral to a specialist is recommended in case of suspicion of specific pathologies or radiculopathy or if there is no improvement after 4 weeks. While there were a few discrepancies across the current clinical practice guidelines, a substantial proportion of recommendations was consistently endorsed. In the current review, we identified some differences compared to the previous overview regarding the recommendations for assessment of psychosocial factors, the use of some medications (e.g., paracetamol) as well as an increasing amount of information regarding the types of exercise, mode of delivery, acupuncture, herbal medicines, and invasive treatments. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

The prevalence of neck and low back pain was higher in older adolescents and physical inactivity in the sporting context and occupational activities could be a risk factor to increase the chances of back pain.

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of active video games (AVGs) on obesity-related outcomes and physical activity levels in children and adolescents. Design: Systematic review with meta-analysis. Methods:Literature search was performed in five electronic databases and the main clinical trials registries. Randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of AVGs compared with no/minimal intervention on obesity-related outcomes (body mass index [BMI], body weight, body fat, and waist circumference) and physical activity levels of children and adolescents were eligible. Two independent reviewers extracted the data of each included study. PEDro scale was used to assess risk of bias and GRADE approach to evaluate overall quality of evidence. Pooled estimates were obtained using random effect models. Results: Twelve studies were considered eligible for this review. Included studies mostly reported outcome data at short-term (less or equal than three months) and intermediate-term follow-up (more than 3 months, but <12 months). AVGs were more effective than no/minimal intervention in reducing BMI/zBMI at short-term (SMD = −0.34; 95% CI: −0.62 to −0.05) and intermediate-term follow-up (SMD = −0.36; 95% CI: −0.01 to −0.71). In addition, AVGs were more effective in reducing body weight compared with no/minimal intervention at intermediate-term follow-up (SMD = −0.25; 95% CI: −0.46 to −0.04). Regarding physical activity levels, AVGs were not more effective compared with minimal intervention at short-term and intermediate-term follow-up. Conclusions: Our review identified that AVGs were better than minimal intervention in reducing BMI and body weight, but not for increasing physical activity in young people.

Analysis 2.2. Comparison 2 Epidural corticosteroid injections versus placebo -subgroup and sensitivity analyses, Outcome 2 Leg pain short-term -type of placebo..

Objective To determine the magnitude of the association between cardiovascular disease and chronic musculoskeletal pain. Design Systematic review with meta-analysis. Methods A comprehensive search was performed in five electronic databases. Population-based studies reporting the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in adults stratified by chronic musculoskeletal pain status were considered eligible. Two independent reviewers performed the screening of the records following the inclusion criteria, extracted data, and evaluated the risk of bias of the included studies using an assessment tool of risk of bias for observational studies. In addition, we assessed the overall quality of evidence using an adaptation of the GRADE approach for prognosis. Results Twenty studies were included in this review. There was high-quality evidence that people with chronic musculoskeletal pain are 1.91 times more likely to report having a cardiovascular disease compared with those without chronic musculoskeletal pain (risk ratio = 1.91, 95% confidence interval = 1.64–2.21). Conclusions Our findings demonstrated associations between chronic musculoskeletal pain and any cardiovascular diseases. Future studies are still warranted to better understand the association between chronic musculoskeletal pain and the specific types of cardiovascular diseases.

Our data support one aspect of the fear-avoidance model-that higher fear of movement is associated with more disability-but not the aspect of the model linking fear of movement with inactivity.

Our findings suggest that physical activity-based interventions may lead to little or no difference in objectively measured physical activity levels of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain compared with no/minimal interventions. Given the number of registered trials, the pooled effect found in this review is likely to change once the results of these trials become available.

Background and objective Identifying factors that influence the course of low back pain (LBP) is important to help clinicians to identify those patients at higher risk of non‐recovery. The objective of this systematic review was to investigate the prognostic role of physical activity in the course of LBP. Databases and data treatment Literature searches were conducted in five electronic databases from their inception to February 2018. Prospective cohort studies investigating the influence of any type of physical activity in people with LBP were considered eligible. The primary outcomes were pain intensity and disability. Two independent reviewers extracted the data and assessed the methodological quality of the included studies. Results were stratified according to participants’ symptoms duration at baseline. Results Twelve studies were considered eligible for this review. Of these, six included patients with chronic LBP, four studies did not specify the patients’ duration of symptoms, one study included patients with acute LBP, and one study included patients with subacute LBP. Included studies were heterogeneous in terms of physical activity assessment, outcomes, follow‐up duration, and statistical methods, therefore, pooling of results was not performed. We found limited evidence to support the prognostic role of physical activity in the course of LBP. Conclusions Our review identified limited evidence supporting physical activity as a prognostic factor in LBP. Future cohort studies are needed to clarify the strength and importance of this association. Significance Despite recent research in the area, this systematic review shows that there is low quality evidence that physical activity may not be a prognostic factor for predicting pain and disability in patients with LBP.