Methods The guideline was developed by the National Collaborating Centre for Primary
Care, whose members worked alongside a Guideline Development Group that included
patient representatives and healthcare professionals with expertise in treating low back pain
in primary and secondary care.

It is perhaps fitting that the last guideline produced by the National Collaborating Centre for
Primary Care prior to its merger with related NICE guidelines groups, should cover the same
disorder that the RCGP published as its first comprehensive evidence based guideline over
a decade ago: the early management of non-specific low back pain. Longer-term non-
specific back pain remains a common problem for practitioners to deal with, particularly in
primary care, occupational health and musculo-skeletal services. It still represents a major�…