Table 1.

Nociceptive pain drivers

	Categories	Operational definition and elements of the category
A	Responders to CS	Elements in this category concern patients who have clinical characteristics of nociceptive pain, which can be classified into a specific category of the current CS (ie, derangement category of the MDT). The current CS can be broadly categorized into a symptom modulation approach (ie, MDT), movement control approach (ie, MSI), or mobility and pain approach (ie, mobilizations).20–22 These patients could then be provided with matched treatment approach to address deficits in mobility (ie, hypomobility as a cause of pain), movement control (ie, functional stability issues as cause of pain), as well as symptom modulation approach, which implicates a specific mechanical pattern of pain (ie, patients presenting the centralization phenomenon23), hence will be prescribed specific exercises. Practice guidelines do not suggest one particular CS over another, but the use of stratified care over non-stratified management is advocated.24
B	Non-responders to CS	This category concerns patients who have clinical characteristics of nociceptive pain, but do not show symptoms/signs allowing to be classified within one of the four main CS (non-responders). These patients also present with nociceptive mechanical LBP and, as opposed to patients who fit into category A, are likely to respond to non-specific exercises.

Abbreviations: CS, classification systems; LBP, low back pain; MDT, McKenzie Method^® of Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy^® (MDT); MSI, Movement System Impairment Syndromes.