General practitioners' management of lumbosacral radicular syndrome compared with a clinical guideline.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the current treatment policy of general practitioners (GPs) in patients with a lumbosacral radicular syndrome (LRS) compared with their clinical guideline.

DESIGN

A cross sectional survey.

METHODS

Sixty-three GPs completed questionnaires about their treatment policy in individual LRS patients at baseline and at six months follow-up. Simultaneously, 136 LRS patients of these GPs were interviewed at baseline, and at three and six month's follow-up.

RESULTS

Of the 12 recommendations in the guideline related to history taking, four were not adhered to by the GPs in about 25% of the patients. Of the ten recommended physical examinations, three are not frequently carried out by the GPs. Almost 40% of the patients were referred to physiotherapy and 27% received muscle relaxants.

CONCLUSION

The majority of the GPs support the content of the LRS guideline. Overall, there was a good adherence with the guideline for history taking and physical examination, and a moderate adherence for treatment policy.