Abstract
Back and neck pain are a very common medical problem and a predominant cause for visits and medical consultations [15] The reported lifetime prevalence of back pain ranges up to 84% [5] and that of neck pain to 67% [6]. Dorsal (thoracic) pain is much less frequent. The 1-year prevalence of dorsal pain was 17% compared to 64% for neck and 67% for low-back pain in a Finnish study [25]. More than 90% of patients initially presenting with back pain can be managed non-operatively with physical therapy and analgetic medication and will return to an acceptable pain level within 3 weeks, and even to normal within 3 months [10]. These figures indicate that spinal pain is a benign and self-limiting disorder (see Chapter 6).
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Werner, C., Boos, N. (2008). History and Physical Examination. In: Boos, N., Aebi, M. (eds) Spinal Disorders. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-69091-7_8
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