Course Description:

Low back pain is a common complaint that will present in a variety of practice settings including emergency departments (EDs), primary care offices, urgent care, and rehabilitation facilities. While most cases of acute low back pain are benign, self-limited, and musculoskeletal in origin, a small minority of them can be life-threatening. Thus, it is critical to identify the signs and symptoms referred to as “red flags” that indicate a diagnosis that can lead to permanent disability or death if not identified and treated urgently. This course provides healthcare providers with a focused and structured approach for differentiating patients who have benign causes of pain from those who will need further medical workup and possibly advanced imaging.