Interventional treatment of low back pain.

Low back pain has become endemic in our society. It is one of the leading causes of disability. It is the most common cause for limitation of activity of people under 45 years of age and is one of the most frequent reasons for a visit to a physician. It is estimated that the cost of back pain in our society in terms of lost productivity and actual cost of treatment exceeds one billion dollars annually. According to the World Health Organization, more than 17 percent of U.S. patients seen by primary care physicians have persistent pain. In visits to physicians, pain medications are the second most commonly prescribed drugs (after cardiovascular medications).