Before having surgery for chronic low back pain, I had to fill out question after question on three separate surveys. Why is this required now?

The high cost of health care has pushed doctors to find better ways to treat common problems like chronic low back pain (CLBP). They have to be able to show the treatment used really works. This is called evidence based medicine.

The number of adults affected by CLPB is on the rise. This trend is expected to continue as a large number of Americans continue to age and experience back pain. More back surgery is being done than ever before. But there's no proof that surgery is the best answer.

Scientists have identified five areas that can be used as a measure of success after treatment for CLBP. These include 1) pain, 2) function, 3) well-being, 4) disability, and 5) patient satisfaction.

Finding one survey tool to assess all five areas has been a problem. That's why some doctors end up using more than one questionnaire. Recently, researchers in Spain evaluated a new tool called the CORE SET. With six questions, all five domains are assessed reliably.

If this tool is tested and found valid with English-speaking patients, it may replace all the other longer surveys.