Table 4:

Summary of recovery from low back pain

Study	Inception time	Recovery rates
Bakker et al. (10)	< 6 wk	40% fully recovered by 12 wk and did not experience a recurrence within 6 mo
Bousema et al. (11)	4–7 wk	After 1 yr, 32% had no back pain complaints
Carey et al. (13) Sundararajan et al. (14)	< 10 wk	95% functionally recovered (a return to a functional status similar to that before the onset of low- back pain) by 6 mo 69% considered themselves completely better at 6 mo
Carey (15)	12–22 weeks	33% had no functionally limiting symptoms after 18 mo 16% had no back symptoms after 18 mo
Costa (16)	12 weeks	Only 11% of patients had not returned to work in their previous capacity at the onset of chronicity and, of those 46%, had returned to work by 12 mo The cumulative probability of being pain-free, maintained for one mon, was 35% at 9 mo and 42% at 12 mo after onset The cumulative probability of having no disability, maintained for one mo, was 39% at 9 mo and 47% at 12 mo after onset The cumulative probability of being completely recovered (pain-free, no disability and returned to prior work status maintained for one mo) was 35% at 9 mo and 41% at 12 mo after onset of chronic pain
Coste et al. (17)	< 72 h	90% (95%CI 84%–96%) of patients recovered within the first 2 wk 98% (95%CI 95%–100%) of patients recovered after 3 mo 40% of patients lost no time from work and return to work was slower than recovery from back pain
Coste et al. (18)	< 72 h	87% (95%CI 79%–95%) had recovered in 30 d 95% (95%CI 91%–100%) had recovered in 3 mo
Epping-Jordan et al. (19) Shaw et al. (20) Wahlgren et al. (21) Williams et al. (22)	6–10 wk	54% improved by 6 mo 67% improved by 12 mo
Ferguson et al. (24), (25)	<4 wk	68% of patients were not impaired according to functional performance, and 80% were not impaired in terms of pain by 14 to 18 wk
Grotle et al. (2), (28)	< 3 wk	76% had recovered (RMDQ < 4) after both 4 wk and 3 mo 83% of patients had recovered fully from their disability after 1 yr (RMDQ < 4)
Gurcay et al. (29)	< 3 wk	27% recovered in the first wk 31% recovered in the second wk 23% recovered in the fourth wk 10% recovered at the eighth wk 1% recovered after 12 wk 9% developed chronic low-back pain
Heneweer et al. (33)	< 12 wk	52% recovered in less than 4 wk 55% recovered at 12 wk, of whom 76% did not report work absenteeism
Henschke et al. (3)	> 24 h to < 2 wk	The cumulative probability of returning to work with pre–back pain work status and duties for those who reduced their work status at baseline because of low-back pain was 80% at 6 wk, 83% at 12 wk and 90% by 1 yr The cumulative probability of having no disability was 55% at 6 wk, 73% by 12 wk and 83% by 1 yr The cumulative probability of being pain free was 39% by 6 wk, 58% by 12 wk and 73% by 1 yr The cumulative probability of being completely recovered was 39% by 6 wk, 57% by 12 wk and 72% by 1 y
Klenerman et al. (34)	< 1 wk	21% were classified as having no pain at 12 mo 28% were classified as having no intermittent pain at 12 mo 93% were classified as not having constant pain at 12 mo
Koleck et al. (35)	10–90 d	67% of patients were classified as improved after 1 yr 67% were classified as not having chronic low-back pain after 1 yr
Melloh et al. (38)	< 12 wk	75% were classified as nonpersistent low-back pain at 6 wk 25% were classified as persistent low-back pain at 6 wk
Poiraudeau et al. (39)	4–12 wk	60% did not have persistent low-back pain at 3 mo 59% did not use sick leave during the 3 mo period 83% had returned to work at 3 mo
Schiottz-Christensen et al. (41)	< 14 d	84% (95%CI 80%– 87%) of patients functionally recovered at 6 mo 92% (95%CI 89%–94%) functionally recovered at 12 mo 47% of patients completely recovered at 6 and 12 mo
Valat et al. (50)	< 1 wk	61.3% had fully recovered at 7 wk

Note: CI = confidence interval, RMDQ = Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire.