Medical assessment after injury--problems encountered: IV. Backache.

Most of us have had backache at some time in our lives and it may be very difficult to sort out the complaint of backache after an injury. However a systematic approach together with an assessment of the injured person's reaction to his injuries will generally help. A working structured approach is given together with special tests where exaggeration is suspected. Reference is made to the percentage assessment of backache following injury. Finally it is stressed that "Prophylaxis is the best treatment" especially in an industrial setting.