STarTBack Low Back Pain Screening Questionnaire

Screen low back pain patients to produce better management outcomes.

Back pain remains an international challenge for primary health clinicians and suffers of back pain. Using a prognostic screening tool has important implications for the management of low back pain.

Early stratification according to prognosis, into LOW, MEDIUM or HIGH categories for risk of developing chronicity, has been shown to be effective in guiding management of back pain patients (Hill et al, Lancet 2011).

STarTBack is a nine item screening tool with excellent utility to predict the risk of low back pain developing into a chronic condition.

The screening tool recognizes aspects such as fear avoidance beliefs, depression, catastrophising and disability with the presence of leg pain and neck/shoulder pain.

Based on the STarTBack screening tool outcome the LOW risk group only need ‘light’ intervention with e.g. analgesics and advice, the MEDIUM group requires treatments involving elements such as exercises or manual therapy, and a combination of physical and cognitive-behavioral approaches should be considered for the HIGH risk group.