Table 3.
GP management of new neck pain and LBP problems, proportion of problems that receive at least one of the listed management actions at encounter (CI%)
| Management action | New neck pain problem (%) (95% CI) (n = 3,070) | New low back pain (%) (95% CI) (n = 5,675) |
|---|---|---|
| Medication advised/prescribed | 58.1 (56.1–60.1) | 64.8 (63.3–66.2) |
| NSAID* | 32.1 (30.3–33.8) | 36.1 (34.7–37.5) |
| Opioid total | 11.5 (10.4–12.7) | 18.6 (17.5–19.7) |
| Codeine/Paracetamol† | 7.7 (6.7–8.7) | 11.9 (11.0–12.8) |
| Paracetamol | 15.8 (14.4–17.1) | 17.1 (16.0–18.2) |
| Diazapam | 3.2 (2.5–3.8) | 2.3 (1.9–2.7) |
| Topical (musculoskeletal) | 3.7 (3.1–4.5) | 2.8 (2.3–3.3) |
| Muscle relaxants | 0.3 (0.1–0.5) | 0.1 (0.0–0.2) |
| Clinical treatments‡ | 20.3 (18.6–21.8) | 23.1 (21.9–24.3) |
| Sickness certificate | 1.7 (1.2–2.1) | 3.1 (2.6–3.6) |
| Procedures§ | 25.1 (23.3–27.0) | 18.5 (17.3––19.2) |
| Referrals (all) | 20.3 (18.8–21.8) | 16.5 (15.5–17.6) |
| Allied health provider | 17.6 (16.1–19.0) | 15.0 (14.0–16.0) |
| Physiotherapy | 16.1 (14.7–17.5) | 13.9 (12.9–14.9) |
| Specialists | 2.4 (1.8–2.9) | 1.3 (1.0–1.6) |
| Imaging orders | 22.8 (21.3–24.4) | 24.1 (22.9–25.3) |
| Diagnostic radiology orders | 17.1 (15.7–18.5) | 19.2 (18.1–20.3) |
| Pathology tests orders | 2.1 (1.6–2.6) | 4.2 (3.7–4.7) |
* NSAID—non steroid anti-inflammatory agent
†Codeine/paracetamol includes all combinations of codeine and paracetamol
‡Clinical treatments include advice, education, counselling, reassurance, administration
§Procedures include all physical treatments (i.e. manual therapy, injection and splinting)