Low back pain: an economic assessment in the United States.

Although it is clear that LBP imposes a grave economic cost on society, the lack of consensus on causes and appropriate treatments makes it difficult to develop explicit guidelines and best practices. To gain a greater understanding of the economic impact of the condition and to reduce the unnecessary procedures that patients undergo, a series of cost-effectiveness analyses on established treatment options and on proposed integrated programs of prevention, treatment, and counseling, would be not only informative but integral to the progress of LBP disease management.