How little pain and disability do patients with low back pain have to experience to feel that they have recovered?

Beaton DE, Tarasuk V, Katz JN, Wright JG, Bombadier C (2001) Are you better? A qualitative study of the meaning of recovery. Arthritis Care Res 45:270–279

Burton AK, McClune TD, Clarke RD, Main CJ (2004) Long-term follow-up of patients with low back pain attending for manipulative care: outcomes and predictors. Man Ther 9:30–35

Collins DL, Evans JM, Grundy RH (2006) The efficiency of multiple impulse therapy for musculoskeletal complaints. J Manip Physiol Ther 29:162.e1–162.e9

Costa LOP, Maher CG, Latimer J, Ferreira PH, Ferreira ML, Pozzi GC, Freitas LMA (2008) Clinimetric testing of three self-report outcome measures for low back pain patients in Brazil. Which one is the best? Spine 33:2459–2463

Coste J, Lefranc G, Guillemin F, Pouchot J (2004) Prognosis and quality of life in patients with acute low back pain: insights from a comprehensive inception cohort study. Arthritis Rheum 51:168–176

Deyo R, Centor R (1986) Assessing responsiveness of functional scales to clinical change: an analogy to diagnostic test performance. J Chronic Dis 39:897–906

Downie WW, Leatham PA, Rhind VM, Wright V, Branco JA, Andersen JA (1978) Studies with pain rating scales. Ann Rheum Dis 37:378–381

Dunn KM, Jordan K, Croft PR (2006) Characterizing the course of low back pain: a latent class analysis. Am J Epidemiol 163:754–761

Dworkin RH, Turk DC, Farrar JT, Haythornthwaite JA, Jensen MP, Katz NP, Kerns RD, Stucki G, Allen RR, Bellamy N, Carr DB, Chandler J, Cowan P, Dionne R, Galer BS, Hertz S, Jadad A, Kramer LD, Manning DC, Martin S, McCormick CG, McDermott MP, McGrath P, Quessy S, Rappaport BA, Robbins W, Robinson JP, Rothman M, Royal MA, Simon L, Stauffer JW, Stein W, Tolett J, Wernicke J, Witter J (2005) Core outcome measures for chronic pain clinical trials: IMMPACT recommendations. Pain 113:9–19

Ferreira ML, Ferreira PH, Latimer J, Herbert RD, Hodges PW, Jennings MD, Maher CG, Refshauge KM (2007) Comparison of general exercise, motor control exercise and spinal manipulative therapy for chronic low back pain: a randomized trial. Pain 131:31–37

Gheldof ELM, Vinck J, Vlaeyen JWS, Hidding A, Crombez G (2007) Development of and recovery from short- and long-term low back pain in occupational settings: a prospective cohort study. Eur J Pain 11:841–854

Giles LGF, Muller R (2003) Chronic spinal pain: a randomized clinical trial comparing medication, acupuncture, and spinal manipulation. Spine 28:1490–1502

Glas AS, Lijmer JG, Prins MH, Bonsel GJ, Bossuyt PMM (2003) The diagnostic odds ratio: a single indicator of test performance. J Clin Epidemiol 56:1129–1135

Grotle M, Brox JI, Vøllestad NK (2005) Concurrent comparison of responsiveness in pain and functional status measurements used for patients with low back pain. Spine 29:E492–E501

Grotle M, Brox JI, Glomsrød B, Lønnc JH, Vøllestad NK (2007) Prognostic factors in first-time care seekers due to acute low back pain. Eur J Pain 11:290–298

Hancock MJ, Maher CG, Latimer J, McLachlan AJ, Cooper CW, Day RO, Spindler MF, McAuley JH (2007) Assessment of diclofenac or spinal manipulative therapy, or both, in addition to recommended first-line treatment for acute low back pain: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 370:1638–1643

Hancock MJ, Maher CG, Latimer J, Herbert RD, McAuley JH (2008) Independent evaluation of a clinical prediction rule for spinal manipulative therapy: a randomised controlled trial. Eur Spine J 17:936–943

Hancock MJ, Maher CG, Latimer J, Herbert RD, McAuley JH (2009) Can rate of recovery be predicted in patients with acute low back pain? Development of a clinical prediction rule. Eur J Pain 13:51–55

Heneweer H, Aufdemkampe G, Van Tulder MW, Kiers H, Stappaerts KH, Vanhees L (2007) Psychosocial variables in patients with (sub)acute low back pain: an inception cohort in primary care physical therapy in the Netherlands. Spine 32:586–592

Henschke N, Maher CG, Refshauge KM, Herbert RD, Cumming RG, Bleasel J, York J, Das A, McAuley JH (2008) Prognosis in patients with recent onset low back pain in Australian primary care: inception cohort study. Br Med J 337:154–157

Heymans MW, De Vet HCW, Bongers PM, Knol DL, Koes BW, Van Mechelen W (2006) The effectiveness of high-intensity versus low-intensity back schools in an occupational setting: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial. Spine 31:1075–1082

Hush JM, Refshauge KM, Sullivan G, de Souza L, Maher CG, McAuley JH (2009) Recovery: what does this mean to patients with low back pain? Arthritis Rheum 61(1):124–131

Jensen TS, Albert HB, Sorensen JS, Manniche C, Leboeuf-Yde C (2007) Magnetic resonance imaging findings as predictors of clinical outcome in patients with sciatica receiving active conservative treatment. J Manip Physiol Ther 30:98–108

Kamper SJ, Maher CG, Mackay G (2009) Global rating of change scales: a review of strengths and weaknesses and considerations for design. J Man Manip Ther 17:163–170

Linton SJ, Boersma K (2003) Early identification of patients at risk of developing a persistent back problem: the predictive validity of the Orebro musculoskeletal pain questionnaire. Clin J Pain 19:80–86

Machado LAC, Maher CG, Herbert RD, Clare H, McAuley JH (2010) The effectiveness of the McKenzie method in addition to first-line care for acute low back pain: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Med 8(10). [Epub ahead of print]

Norman GR (2003) Hi! How are you? Response shift, implicit theories and differing epistemologies. Qual Life Res 12:239–249

Oleske DM, Neelakantan J, Andersson GB, Hinrichs BG, Lavender SA, Morrissey MJ, Zold-Kilbourn P, Taylor E (2004) Factors affecting recovery from work-related, low back disorders in autoworkers. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 85:1362–1364

Pengel LHM, Refshauge KM, Maher CG, Nicholas MK, Herbert RD, McNair P (2007) Physiotherapist-directed exercise, advice, or both for subacute low back pain: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med 146:787–796

Roland M, Morris RA (1983) A study of the natural history of low-back pain. Part I: development of a reliable and sensitive measure of disability in low-back pain. Spine 8:141–144

Steenstra I, Anema J, Bongers P, de Vet HC, Knol D, van Mechelen W (2006) The effectiveness of graded activity for low back pain in occupational healthcare. Occup Environ Med 63:718–725

van Tulder MW, Becker A, Bekkering T, Breen A, del Real MTG, Hutchison A, Koes BW, Laerum E, Malmivaara A (2006) European guidelines for the management of acute nonspecific low back pain in primary care. Eur Spine J 15:S169–S191

Vroomen P, de Krom MC, Wilmink J, Kester A, Knottnerus J (1999) Lack of effectiveness of bed rest for sciatica. New Engl J Med 340:418–423