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Care Pathway for the Management of Lumbar Disc Herniation with Radiculopathy
Rule out major structural or other pathologies as the cause of the symptoms.
Risk factors for serious pathologies (also known as red flags - see next step in algorithm) identified during the history and examination warrants further investigation and referral to the appropriate healthcare provider. Once the pathology has been ruled out, the patient should be treated according to the lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy care pathway.
No
No
No
Yes
Are symptoms ≤3 months?
Yes
Management of Symptoms
Based on shared decision making between the patient and provider, any one of the following therapeutic interventions is recommended:
Yes
Yes
No
No
Discharge
Are symptoms >3 months?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Discharge
No