Does the diagnosis influence the outcome in a multimodal outpatient pain management program for low back pain and sciatica? A comparative study.

The literature describes multimodal pain-management programs as successful therapy options in the conservative treatment of chronic low back pain. Yet, the intensity and inclusion criteria of such programs remain debatable. In many studies, the pain originating from spinal structures is described as nonspecific low back pain - a diffuse diagnosis without serious implications. The purpose of this study is to compare the short-term outcomes between patients suffering from sciatica due to a discus intervertebralis herniation and those suffering from low back pain caused by facet joint disease after 3 weeks of treatment in an intense multimodal outpatient program in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the university hospital.