Neck and Back Injury Treatment Guideline

Abstract

This clinical guideline has been created to improve health care services for injured workers by outlining the appropriate evaluation and treatment processes for the management of work-related neck and back injuries. The guideline should be used as a tool to guide health care providers of different professional disciplines to provide quality care to injured workers. The guideline is not intended to be a substitute for appropriate medical judgment, and is written to be broad enough to allow for a wide range of diagnostic and treatment modalities, and to purposely allow for philosophical and practice differences among professional disciplines of health care practitioners who provide care to injured workers. It is expected that approximately 10% of cases may fall outside of this guideline and may be reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis. If objective clinical improvement is delayed or slower than expected, the treating provider must justify the necessity of continued care with a valid clinical rationale and supporting, objective clinical findings. Sample tools referenced in this Guideline are intended to promote all types of physical and psychological treatment to injured workers. These tools are not meant to be used as a means to deny treatment.