Authors and Collaborators

Authors

• Dr. Francisco M. Kovacs
  Scientific Department. Fundación Kovacs.
• Dra. Nicole Mufraggi
  Scientific Department. Fundación Kovacs.
• Dr. Mario Gestoso
  Spanish Back School. Fundación Kovacs.
• Prof. María Teresa Gil del Real
  Scientific Department. Fundación Kovacs.

Scientific Council of Fundación Kovacs

• Prof. Dr. D. Alberto Berguer
• Prof. Dr. D. Enrique Ferrer
• Prof. Dr. D. Pedro Guillén
• Prof. Dr. D. Francisco M. Kovacs
• Prof. Dr. D. José Gerardo Martín-Rodríguez
• Prof. Dr. D. Domingo Ruano
• Prof. Dr. D. Antonio Viladot

Peer collaborators Unidades de la Espalda Kovacs (U.D.E.K.):

• Dr. D. Enrique Albors
  Unidad de la Espalda Kovacs. Centro Clínico San Carlos. Alicante
• Dr. D. José Antonio Hernández Quiñonero
  Unidad de la Espalda Kovacs. Clínica Santa Amalia. Granada
• Dra. Dña. Margarita Martín
  Clínica Kovacs. Madrid
• Dr. D. Fernando Mesa del Castillo López
  Unidad de la Espalda Kovacs. Policlínico San Carlos. Murcia
• Dr. D. Francisco Morán
  Escuela Española de la Espalda. Centro Clínico San Carlos. Alicante
• Dr. D. Severo Santos
  Clínica Kovacs. Madrid

Other Collaborators:

• Dr. D. Carlos Algara
  Clínica Ntra. Sra. del Pilar. Barcelona
• Dr. D. José Mª Collado
  Gabinete radiológico del Dr. Rovira. Palma de Mallorca
• Dr. D. Fernando Martínez Pintor.
  Clínica Ntra. Sra. del Pilar. Barcelona
• Dr. D. Rafael Monjo.
  Consellería de Treball. Govern Balear. Palma de Mallorca
• Dr. D. Rafael Ramos.
  Servicio de Resonancia Magnética. Policlínica Miramar. Palma de Mallorca
• Dr. D. Jaime Socías.
  Gabinete radiológico del Dr. Rovira. Palma de Mallorca

In preparing contents, criteria were obtained from

AHCPR: Clinical Practice Guideline of the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research of the United States of America. This Agency summoned a multidisciplinary panel of experts to define standards for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with acute lower back problems (of less than 3-month's duration). With this aim, experts compiled and evaluated scientific studies published until 1992 and consensus was used in fields where conducted studies were not sufficiently conclusive to determine a recommendation. The original document source citation is:

• Bigos S, Bowyer O, Braen G, et al. Acute Low Back Problems in Adults. Clinical Practice Guideline, Reference Guide Number. 14. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, AHCPR Pub. No. 95-0643. December 1994.
• The original document is available at: http://www.vh.org/Providers/ClinGuide/
  BackPhysician/BackPhysicianian.html

CSAG: Recommendations from the British Clinical Standards Advisory Group. This group conducted a similar project although it was more focused on management within the British Public Health System. Recommendations included a clinical management guideline, but considerations are not completely based in previously conducted scientific studies: A list of the reviewed studies was not provided. The main part of its recommendations were reviewed and updated by the RCGP. The original document's source citations are:

• Clinical Standard Advisory Group. Report on Back Pain, 1994. Londond:HMSO:1-89.
• Clinical Standards Advisory Group. Epidemiology Review: The Epidemiology and Cost of Back Pain. Annex to the CSAG Report on Back Pain. 1994. London:HMSO:1.72 (review of epidemiological studies).

RCGP: Clinical Guidelines from the Royal College of General Practitioners in the United Kingdom. With an identical working methodology, a group of experts and organizations, led by the British Royal College of General Practitioners updated the AHCPR and CSAG guidelines including scientific studies published up to April 1996. The RCGP guidelines are intended for Primary Care physicians, and do not address treatments specific to Specialized Care, such as surgery. Non-British investigators and experts in back pain cooperated in the construction of the RCGP guidelines. Once they were concluded, guidelines were reviewed and approved by back pain experts from Sweden, the Netherlands and the United States of America. The original document may be found in the RCGP Web (http://www.RCGP.org.uk). Source citation is:

Waddell G, Feder G, McIntosh A, Lewis M, Hutchinson A. Low Back Pain Evidence Review. 1996 London: Royal College of General Practitioners.

• Assendelft WJJ, Berman B, Bombardier C, Bouter LM, Cherkin DC, Daams J, Deyo RA, Driessen APRM, Esmail R, Hienkens EEH, Jellema P, Koes BW, Kostense PJ, Lankhorst GJ, Lao L, Linton SJ, Maljers L, Malmivaara A, Mens JMA, Morley SJ, Nachemson AN, Ostelo R, Roland M, Scholten RJPM, Van der Heijden GJMG, Van der Laan JR, Van Eijk JThM, Van Poppel MNM, Van Tulder MW, Vlaeijen JWS. The effectiveness of conservative treatment of acute and chronic low back pain. Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam: Van Tulder MW, Koes BW, Assendelft WJJ, Bouter LM, eds. Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine. Faculty of Medicine, 1999.
• Roland M, Waddell G, Klaber Moffett J, Burton K, Main C, Cantrell T. The back book. London; Her Majesty's Stationary Office, 1997.
• Manniche, C. and Bendix, T. (1998). Back Pain-from the viewpoint of medical technology. Danish National Board of Health. Nordisk Medicin 1998, 113(7): 230-2, 239.
• Burton, A.K. and Waddell, G. (1998). Clinical guidelines in the management of low back pain. Baillieres Clin Rheumatol 1998, 12(1):17-35.
• Faas A, Chavannes AW, Koes AW, Van den Hoogen JMM, Mens JMA, Smeele IJM et al. NHG-practice guideline "low back pain". Engelskpraklig versjon. Huisarts Wet 1996; 39:18-31
• Smeele IJM, Van den Hoogen JMM, Mens JMA, Chavannes AW, Faas A, Koes BW et al. NHG-practice guideline "lumbosacral radicular syndrome". Engelskpraklig versjon. Huisarts Wet 1996;39:78-79
• Borkan J, Reis S, Werner S, Ribak J, Prath A. Guidelines for treating low back pain in primary care. The Israeli Low Back Pain Guideline Group. Harfuah 1996; 130:145-51
• Spitzer, W.O., Le Blanc, F.E., Dupuism M. Scientific approach to the assessment and management of activity related spinal disorders. Spine 1987;12(suppl 7):1-59
• Steven ID. Guidelines for the management of back-injured employees. Adelaide: Workcover Corporation, 1993.
• New Zealand acute low back pain guide. Wellington, NZ:Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation Insurance Corporation of New Zealand and the National Health Committee, 1997.
• Kendall NAS, Linton S, Main CJ. Guide to assessing psychosocial yellow flags in acute low back pain: risk factors for long-term disability and work loss. Wellington, NZ:Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation Insurance Corporation of New Zealand and the National Health Committee, 1997.
• Waddell G, Nachemson Alf L., Reed B. Phillips. The Back Pain Revolution. London; Churchill Livingstone, 1998.
• LeBan MM, Perrin JCS, Latimer FR. Pregnancy and the herniated lumbar disc. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1983;64:319-21.

Support team

• Alonso, Montserrat
• Baker, Sylvia
• Díez, Mercedes
• Gurtubay, Ainhoa
• Lázaro, Charo
• Oliver-Frontera, Malén
• Ross, Alistair
• Tremper, Shawn
• Van den Hurk, Margarita
• Zapater, Javier

Proofreaders

• Casinello, Irene
• Sandt, Severn

Ilustrations

• Eva Barceló
  Cibal Multimedia
• Rafael Rodulfo