The great majority of the costs of LBP are associated with management of the chronic disorder. This has significant influence on the goals of treatment and the physical therapist's approach toward management of the condition. Comprehensive care for the patient presenting with LBP includes attempts to manage the disorder as it immediately presents in the clinic. However, perhaps more importantly, management involves utilizing interventions and appropriate patient education strategies to minimize the potential for the acute, simple LBP episode to evolve into a chronic pain syndrome. In addition, the physical therapist must recognize that the majority of nonsurgical LBP episodes presenting in the physical therapy clinic are recurrent phenomena (i.e., the patient often presents with an exacerbation of his chronic back condition). Thus, the focus of intervention strategies is to help prevent recurrences, or at a minimum, provide information or strategies in order to help the patient self-manage his recurrent back problem.