Straight leg raise test
The examiner lifts the straightened leg while the patient lies supine; reproduction of radiating leg pain at a limited angle suggests nerve root irritation, often from a disc herniation.
Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
Pain frequency80
Recovery length40
Exercise load50
Clinician need55
Self-care fit60
Recurrence risk75
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Quick answers
How common is low back pain?
Population studies suggest that a large majority of adults will experience at least one episode of low back pain during their lifetime, making it one of the most frequent reasons for clinic visits.
Is bed rest recommended for low back pain?
Current guidelines, including those from the American College of Physicians, generally advise against prolonged bed rest and instead recommend staying as active as tolerated.
Does a disc herniation always require surgery?
Most disc herniations improve with conservative management such as exercise and time; surgery is typically reserved for cases with significant, persistent nerve compression or red-flag features.
What is sciatica?
Sciatica describes pain radiating along the sciatic nerve path into the buttock and leg, usually caused by irritation of a lumbar nerve root rather than the sciatic nerve itself being diseased.
Can core exercises prevent low back pain?
Trunk and hip strengthening is commonly recommended to support the lumbar spine, though research suggests general physical activity and load management play a comparably important role in prevention.
Why does low back pain recur so often?
Recurrence is common because contributing factors such as deconditioning, prolonged sitting, or heavy lifting mechanics often persist after the initial episode resolves.
Evaluation of the low back typically starts with a history exploring onset, aggravating movements, and any leg symptoms, followed by observation of posture, gait, and active range of motion.
Special tests help distinguish nerve-related pain from purely muscular pain, while a structured red-flag screen identifies the small number of cases needing urgent referral rather than a graded exercise program.
Assessment tests
Slump test
A seated sequence of trunk flexion, neck flexion, and knee extension that stretches the nerve pathway, used to help confirm a nerve-related source of leg symptoms.
Active range-of-motion screen
Flexion, extension, and side-bending are observed for range, quality, and whether specific directions reproduce pain, informing which exercise directions may help.
Prone instability test
Pain present while lying prone with legs off the table that eases when the trunk muscles are actively engaged suggests a stability-related component to the pain.
Neurological screen
Testing reflexes, strength, and sensation in the legs helps localize which nerve root, if any, is affected and gauges the severity of any nerve involvement.
Warning signs
These warrant prompt clinical review rather than unsupervised exercise progression.
Saddle numbness or bladder changes
Numbness in the groin or inner thighs alongside new bladder or bowel difficulty can indicate cauda equina syndrome, a surgical emergency.
Progressive leg weakness
Worsening motor weakness in the leg, rather than pain alone, suggests significant nerve compression and warrants prompt evaluation.
History of cancer, fever, or unexplained weight loss
These features raise concern for infection or malignancy affecting the spine and typically prompt further medical work-up.
Significant trauma or osteoporosis with new pain
A fall or known bone-fragility condition combined with new severe back pain raises concern for vertebral fracture.
This staged approach — history, movement assessment, special tests, and red-flag screening — allows clinicians to direct the vast majority of patients toward active rehabilitation while identifying the few who need urgent or specialist care.
Keep exploring
Neighbouring regions
Neighbouring topics share region literacy — not a severity ranking.
Neck
The seven cervical vertebrae and the soft tissues that carry the head — posture load, disc and facet pain, and graded mobility work.
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The core is the coordinated group of trunk muscles that stabilizes the spine and pelvis, transferring force between the upper and lower body during nearly every movement.
Pain frequency 35 Same body region