Low Back Pain in the Uniformed Service Member: Approach to Surgical Treatment Based on a Review of the Literature

The clinical entity of chronic low back pain is not well understood at present. Disparate spinal conditions can result in symptoms of low back pain, and various treatment options have been proposed in the literature including surgical intervention and prolonged nonoperative therapy. Low back pain, as well as lumbar degenerative disc disorders and spondylosis, is common among uniformed service members, and studies, along with treatment recommendations, regarding these entities in the civilian community are not necessarily translatable to military personnel. This literature review endeavors to review the evidence for interventions for low back pain and seeks to formulate a treatment algorithm that takes into account the unique requirements of military personnel. Ultimately, more research must be done, investigating the specific results of treatments for spinal conditions within the military community before definitive recommendations can be made.