Pain in the back and leg: a general practice survey.

Over a two-year period, the data on all patients in a general practice with back and leg pain were recorded in a standardized way. Two broad categories were distinguished, those with low-back pain syndromes and those with back and leg pain syndromes. Within the former, four patterns of pain distribution could be indentified, and the latter were sub-divided according to severity, history, and neurological involvement. History, clinical features, and outcome correlated with these various types. The majority of these patients may be managed conservatively at home, only a small proportion requiring referral for specialist advice or treatment. It is suggested that the intervertebral disc can account for only a small proportion of these problems.