LAUSR

Low back pain (LBP) is a common but complex musculoskeletal disorder responsible for a huge economic and social burden.1 In 2015, LBP affected around 540 million people and accounted for 60.1 million years lived with disability.2 The publication of The Lancet Low Back Pain Series1,3,4 in 2018, provided worldwide recognition of the LBP problem amongst healthcare professionals and the general public.5 Nonetheless, LBP is still the number one cause of disability in the world and many patients are still not receiving the right care.6 In Argentina, LBP is the main cause of years lived with disability, similar to other Latin American countries.2 It is one of the main reasons for physical therapy consultation in the public7,8 and private health systems.9 No reliable data regarding the economic burden of LBP in Argentina are available; however, the excessive use of imaging10 and the high rate of work absenteeism,11 suggests that costs (direct and indirect) due to LBP are likely to be as significant as is seen for other countries worldwide.12