Serious spinal conditions among back-pain patients varied by care setting
Among adults seeking care for low back pain, serious spinal conditions were present in a pooled 2.9% at presentation. Prevalence differed substantially across health care settings.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
This review estimated how often serious spinal conditions were present when adults sought care for low back pain. The pooled estimate was 2.9%, with moderate evidence certainty, but rates varied by care setting. That average describes the studied patient groups; it cannot determine whether an individual person's back pain reflects a serious condition.
Care-setting differences limit the usefulness of a single pooled prevalence estimate. Findings about conditions outside the spine came from Australian emergency departments and varied widely, limiting their application to other care settings.
What researchers found
Pooled prevalence at presentation
Adults seeking care for low back pain across settings: 95% confidence interval, 1.6% to 5.2%; moderate evidence certainty, without a treatment comparator.
Setting changed the estimate
The reported prevalence was lowest in primary care and higher in emergency, secondary and tertiary care. These differences mean the overall pooled figure should not be assumed to describe every location where patients seek help.
Spinal and nonspinal findings were distinct
The review separately considered serious conditions involving the spine and conditions outside it. The nonspinal estimates varied greatly in Australian emergency department studies, so those findings should not be combined with the serious spinal prevalence.
The original publication
Prevalence of serious spinal pathologies and nonspinal conditions in low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Reginato LS, Machado GC, Maher CG et al.
Pain Med · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 40581763
- Record checked
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