The aim is to determine the usefulness of a questionnaire called the STarT back tool (SBT) in identifying people who attend the Emergency Department (ED) with low back pain if they are likely to develop long-term low back pain. Patients who present to the ED physiotherapy service, who report back pain as their main complaint, will complete the STarTback questionnaire and other questions about the pain is affecting them at their first appointment. Treatment will be based on the scores of the SBT and in line with current best practice. The SBT and other questionnaires will be repeated again at 6 weeks and again at 12 weeks after their first visit to the ED, either in person or by phone, and the outcome measures will be repeated for comparison and analysis. This will be done to identify whether the STarTBack tool is effective in indentifying the appropriate management plan for people who attend the ED with low back pain and whther it is a useful questionnaire in the Emrgency Department setting.
