Low Back Pain.

Low Back Pain is part of Milner-Fenwick's video counseling library. The videotape is intended as an educational tool for patients with back pain and primarily addresses the patient's role in the recovery process. it is a short video and does little more than provide a broad overview of back pain and back care. The information provided, however, is presented in a clear, concise, and easily understandable format.

The videotape's format utilizes both narration and dialogue. The actors and scenarios are believable. The quality of the graphics and the animation used to illustrate anatomy and spinal biomechanics is excellent. The videotape's scope, however, is far too broad for its 12-minute length. Only a scant 2 to 3 minutes is spent on anatomy, biomechanics, and evaluation of back pain. Almost no information is given on medical evaluative tools such as electromyography. computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or myelogram. Little time is spent on differential diagnosis, giving the impression that all back pain is the same and has the same prognosis and treatment,

The majority of the videotape focuses on posture, body mechanics, and exercise. Realistic situations are utilized to demonstrate all techniques. Physical therapy is presented well, with emphasis placed on education, exercise, and lifestyle changes rather' than on passive, palliative modalities for control of pain,

This videotape gives a fairly simplistic overview of back pain and its treatment, but the information given is accurate and presented well. This videotape may be useful as an adjunct to other patient education materials or as an informational tool to be viewed in a waiting room. Given its brevity and expense, however, I cannot recommend it as a practitioner's sole investment in videotaped patient information.