ABSTRACT
Low back pain (LBP) has become epidemic throughout the western society (1-4). Disorders of the low back and spine make up the largest fraction of musculoskeletal disorders and are among the leading causes of disability in people of working age (5). Estimates of lifetime incidence of LBP range from 60% to 80% (6,7) and, although most LBP episodes (90%) subside within two to three months, recurrence is common (8). As a consequence, chronic low back pain (CLBP) has become a major problem, which affects the availability of health care resources in all industrialized nations (9,10).
