Is Sequenced Care Really Better Than Pain Navigation for Low Back Pain?

Low back pain (LBP) is a major contributor to disability worldwide, yet evidence supporting alternative care models in routine clinical practice remains limited. To address this gap, a study compared the effectiveness of a sequenced care pathway (SCP) versus a pain navigator pathway (PNP) in 1,817 patients with LBP. The study found that both the sequenced care pathway (SCP) and pain navigator pathway (PNP) led to modest improvements at 3 months. Pain interference scores improved from a baseline mean of 63.2 to 60.5 in the SCP group and to 61.1 in the PNP group.

Physical function scores increased from 37.1 to 39.1 with SCP and to 38.5 with PNP. No significant between-group differences were observed, with estimated differences of -0.6 points for pain interference and 0.6 points for physical function, and secondary outcomes were also comparable between pathways. These findings suggest that…