At the end of your consultation with your low back problem specialist a management decision should be agreed with you.
The most common management options offered are listed below:
- Self-management: commonly, you will be given advice regarding exercise, lifestyle, sleep quality and use of medication. You will also be encouraged to continue normal activities. You may be directed to our patient information webpages.
- Referral to a community exercise referral scheme (depending on availability in your locality).
- You may be referred to physiotherapy. Treatment should include individual or group exercise.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – Referral for MRI is indicated if a nerve root block injection or surgical opinion is considered for severe sciatica. MRI scans are not helpful to find the cause of low back pain but are useful if a serious condition is suspected.
- Referral for a nerve root block injection– this treatment is only for severe sciatica that is not resolving.
- Referral to the spinal surgery service for a surgical opinion: this option is only for severe sciatica that is not resolving.
- Referral to the pain management service.
- Referral to the BACK to Health Programme.
- Referral to rheumatology.
- Referral to the bone density service (osteoporosis).