Bridging the gap between the medical literature and the practice of lumbar spine medicine, this user-friendly, accessible text describes the causes of lower back pain and associated "sciatic" pathologies and how these problems can be successfully treated without surgery. Beginning with a review of the anatomy of the lumbar spine and the most common causes of lower back pain, diagnostic and management strategies for a variety of conditions are discussed, including discogenic pain, facet joint pain, sacroiliac joint pain, spondylolisthesis, lumbar radiculopathy, piriformis syndrome, spinal stenosis, and compression fractures. Chapters on epidural steroid injections, exercises for lower back pain and alternative treatments follow, as well as when it is appropriate to recommend surgery.  The second section of the book is devoted to numerous clinical scenarios in which evidence based medicine is applied to actual clinical cases.  Non-Operative Treatment of the Lumbar Spine will bea valuable reference for orthopedists, rheumatologists, physiatrists, pain management specialists, neurologists, and anyone treating patients with lower back pain.

Introduction.- Part I: Lumbar Spine Topics.- Anatomy of the Lumbar Spine.- Lower Back Pain: An Overview of the Most Common Causes.- Treatment of Acute Lower Back Pain.- When Are Imaging Studies Indicated, and What Do They Tell Us?- Discogenic Lower Back Pain.- Facet Joint Arthropathy.- Sacroiliac Joint Pain.- Spondylolisthesis.- Spondylolysis.- Lumbar Radiculopathy.- Piriformis Syndrome.- Spinal Stenosis.- Compression Fractures.- Epidural Steroid Injections: Dispelling Common Myths.- Red Flag Signs and Symptoms.- Exercises for Lower Back Pain.- The Mind-Body Connection: Is Stress Important?- Alternative Treatments.- Part II: Case Scenarios.