FOREWORD 1 -- ALGORYTHM. 4 -- SUMMARY 5 -- 1. INTRODUCTION 7 -- 1.1. METHODS 7 -- 2. ASSESSMENT OF LOW BACK PAIN AND RADICULAR PAIN 8 -- 2.1. HISTORY TAKING AND CLINICAL EXAMINATION 8 -- 2.2. RISK STRATIFICATION 11 -- 2.3. IMAGING 13 -- 3. NON-INVASIVE MANAGEMENT 14 -- 3.1. SELF-MANAGEMENT 14 -- 3.2. SUPERVISED EXERCISE PROGRAMME 15 -- 3.3. MANUAL TECHNIQUES 15 -- 3.4. PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS 16 -- 3.5. MULTIDISCIPLINARY REHABILITATION PROGRAMME 16 -- 3.6. RETURN TO WORK 17 -- 4. PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS 18 -- 4.1. NSAIDS, OPIOIDS OR PARACETAMOL 18 -- 4.2. ANTIDEPRESSANTS AND ANTICONVULSANTS 20 -- 5. INVASIVE INTERVENTIONS 21 -- 5.1. EPIDURAL INFILTRATIONS FOR (SUB)ACUTE RADICULAR PAIN 21 -- 5.2. RADIOFREQUENCY DENERVATION: FOR SUSPECTED CHRONIC FACET JOINT PAIN 22 -- 5.3. SURGICAL SPINAL DECOMPRESSION FOR PERSISTENT RADICULAR PAIN 23 -- 5.4. ARTHRODESIS: ONLY FOR VERY SPECIFIC CASES OF LOW BACK PAIN 23 -- 6. INTERVENTIONS NOT RECOMMENDED 24 -- 7. INTERVENTIONS WITHOUT A CLEAR RECOMMENDATION 26 -- 8. RESEARCH PROPOSITIONS 27 -- 9. TOPICS NOT STUDIED 28 -- 10. IMPLEMENTATION 28 -- 11. GLOSSARY 29 -- 12. QUESTIONNAIRES 30