It may be appropriate to consider consultation with a
back specialist when patients with nonspecific low back
pain do not respond to standard noninvasive therapies.
However, there is insufficient evidence to guide specific
recommendations on the timing of or indications for referral,
and expertise in management of low back pain varies
substantially among clinicians from different disciplines
(including primary care providers). In general, decisions
about consultation should be individualized and based on
assessments of patient symptoms and response to interventions,
the experience and training of the primary care clinician,
and the availability of specialists with relevant expertise.
In considering referral for possible surgery or other
invasive interventions, other published guidelines suggest
referring patients with nonspecific low back pain after a
minimum of 3 months (25) to 2 years (128) of failed
nonsurgical interventions. Although specific suggestions
about timing of referral are somewhat arbitrary, one factor
to consider is that trials of surgery for nonspecific low back
pain included only patients with at least 1 year of symptoms
(129 –131). Other recommendations for invasive interventions
are addressed in a separate guideline from the
APS (17).