A Chinese Guideline for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic LOW Back Pain (2024 Edition)

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide, severely impairing patients' quality of life, consuming substantial healthcare resources, and increasing medical costs while reducing productivity. Low back pain has become the leading cause of disability worldwide and a major global public health issue. Objective: To enhance the ability of diagnosis and treatment for LBP to meet the needs of clinical diagnosis and treatment. Main ideas: Based on high quality evidence based medical research on the diagnosis and treatment of LBP published domestically and internationally between January 2010 and December 2023, the expert group of the Pain Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Special Capacity Enhancement Project of the National Health Commission of China's Capacity Building and Continuing Education Centerhas formed recommendations for common treatment methods through rigorous argumentation and expert voting, to provide references for standardized diagnosis and treatment of LBP. This guideline adopts GRADE methodology to evaluate the level of evidence and strength of recommendation for the treatments of common chronic specific low back pain (cSLBP) and chronic non-specific low back pain (cNSLBP). Conclusion: LBP is characterized by high prevalence, significant disability rates, and frequent recurrence, imposing substantial burdens on individuals, families, and society. For patients, improving understanding of cLBP, practicing effective self-management, and actively cooperating with treatment are crucial for disease prognosis. Healthcare providers must enhance patient education and clinical competencies while strictly adhering to diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines for comprehensive cLBP management. Policymakers and academic organizations should focus on developing evidence-based clinical guidelines, strengthening healthcare system oversight, and promoting widespread implementation of standardized cLBP care protocols.