Low back pain is one of the most common conditions encountered by physicians and is a leading contributor to lost work time. Symptoms of acute low back pain rarely have a serious pathologic basis, and most patients will demonstrate significant improvement within a month with conservative therapy. To determine a treatment approach for patients with subacute back pain or chronic pain, the physician must discern between axial pain, which is suggestive of a degenerative spine disease, and radicular pain, which is more indicative of a neuropathic condition. With proper diagnostic evaluation guided by the patientÂ’s pattern of symptoms, an appropriate treatment plan that provides satisfactory pain relief can be achieved in most patients with low back pain.