Clinical Guidelines

Clinical Practice Guidelines are systematically developed statements to help clinicians and patients decisions about appropriate health care for specific clincial circumstances. Busy practitioners may wish to access critical appraisal guides / forms for guideline critique at the following websites:

• Evidence based Clinical Practice Guidelines
  
  Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE Instrument) www.agreecollaboration.org. Accessed on June 29, 2004.

The following are links to various available guidelines.  They are organized by country of origion.  The language of these guidelines is English, unless otherwise stated.  Please note that many of these guidelines are in PDF format, are quite large, and may take some time to load onto your screen.

 The NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) low back pain guidelines can be found here:  http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG88/NiceGuidance/pdf/English

Australia 

1. National Health and Medical Research Council,
   Evidence-based Management of Acute Musculoskeletal Pain:
   This document provides information on the management of acute pain, communication between clinicians and consumers, and the diagnosis, prognosis and interventions for acute low back, thoracic spine, neck, shoulder and anterior knee pain. The document is concerned only with the management of acute episodes...
   http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/publications/synopses/cp94syn.htm 
2. acute low back pain 
3. aute thoracic spinal pain
4. acute neck pain 
5. acute shoulder pain
6. acute knee pain

Canada

1. Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guidelines on the use of manipulation or mobilization for mechanical neck disorders:
   Gross AR, Kay TM, Kennedy C, et al Clinical practice guidelines on the use of manipulation or mobilization in the treatment of adults with mechanical neck disorders. Manual Therapy 2002;7(4):193-205
2. Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Physiotherapy Treatment of Patients with Whiplash Associated Disorders. Leigh T, Best Practice Task Force. Physiotherapy Association of British Columbia. contact: therese leigh trezle@hotmail.com
3. Lineker S, Wood H. Rheumatoid arthritis managment protocol. Toronto: The Arthritis Society Consultation and Rehabilitation Service; 1998

Denmark

1. Danish Health Technology Assessment on Low Back Pain:

Netherlands

1. Whiplash Guideline (in Dutch language):
   www.nvmt.nl/upload/richtlijn%20def%207-1-2004.pdf
2. Royal Dutch Society for Physical Therapy Clinical Guidelines:
   • Chronic Ankle Sprain (Flowchart)
   • Low Back Pain  (Flowchart)
   • Osteoarthritis of Hip and Knee  (Flowchart)
   • Whiplash  (Flowchart ) 

Norwegian

1. Acute Low Back Pain Clinical Guidelines:
   www.ifomt.org/pdf/Norway_Acute_Low_Back.pdf
2. Using published evidence to guide the examination of the sacroiliac joint region:
   www.ptjournal.org/PTJournal/May2001/v81n5p1135.cfm

New Zealand

1. New Zealand Guidelines Group. Wellington, New Zealand: ACC Prevention Care Recovery; 2002:
   www.nzgg.org.nz
   • Diagnosis and management of soft tissue knee injuries - internal derangements 
   • Diagnosis and managment of soft tissue shoulder injuries and related disorders
   • New Zealand Acute low back guide incorporating the Guide to assessing psychosocial yellow flags in acute low back pain 
   • Acute management and immediate rehabilitation after hip fracture among people age 65 years and over
   • Chronic fatigue
   • Prevention of hip fracture among people aged 65 years and over

United Kingdom

1. United Kingdom - Royal College of General Practioners
   Clinical Guidelines for the management of Acute Low Back Pain:
   www.rcgp.org.uk/rcgp/clinspec/guidelines/backpain/index.asp
2. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Guidelines for the management of soft tissue (musculoskeletal) Injury with protection, rest, ice, compression and elevation (PRICE) during the first 72 hours. London: The Chartered Society for Phyiotherapy; 1998.

United States

1. USA - Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Health Care Policy and Research 
   Acute Low Back Problems in Adults; AHCPR Publication No. 95-0642
   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=hstat6.chapter.25870
2. American Society of Hand Therapists. Flexor tendon practice guidelines. Chicago, IL: American Society of Hand Therapists; 1998
3. American Society of Hand Therapists. Treatment guidelines for distal radius fracture. Chicago, IL: American Socienty of Hand Therapists; 1998
4. American Society of Hand Therapists. Treatment Guidelines for conservative and post-operative management of trigger finger. Chicago, IL: American Society of Hand Therapists; 1999.
5. American College of Rheumatology Subcommittee on Osteoarthritis Guidlines. Recommendations for the medical management of osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. Arthritis Rheum 2000;43:1905-15
6. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American college of Endocrinology. AACE clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. J Fla Med Assoc 1996;83:552-66.
7. American Geriatric Society Panel on chronic pain in older persons. The management of chronic pain in older persons. J Am Geriatr Soc 1998;46:635-51.
8. Manal TJ, Snyder-Mackler L. Practice guidelines for anterior cruciate ligatment rehabilitation: a criterion-based rehabilitation progression. Oper Techn Orthopaed 1996;6:190-6.
9. Sander Sh, Rucker KS, Anderson KO, et al. Clinical practice guidelines for chronic non-malignant pain syndrome patients. J Back Musculoskeletal Rehabil 1995;5:115-20.
10. American Geriatric Society Panel on Exercise and Osteoarthritis. Exercise prescription for older adults with osteoarthritis pain: consensus practice recommendations. J Am Geriatr Soc 2001;49:808-23
11. Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. Health care guidelines: diagnosis and treatment of adult degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the knee. Bloomington, MN: Institute of Clinical Systemas Improvment 2002.
12. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American college of Endocrinology. AACE clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. J Fla Med Assoc 1996;83:552-66.
13. Philadelphia Pannel
    Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines on Selected Rehabilitation Interventions for Knee Pain. Phys Ther 2001;81:1676-700  www.ptjournal.org/PTJournal/October2001/v81n10p1675.cfm
14. Philadelphia Pannel
    Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines on Selected Rehabilitation Interventions for Low Back Pain. Phys Ther 2001;81:1641-74  www.ptjournal.org/PTJournal/October2001/v81n10p1641.cfm
15. Philadelphia Pannel
    Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines on Selected Rehabilitation Interventions for Shoulder Pain. Phys Ther 2001 ;81:1719-30 www.ptjournal.org/PTJournal/October2001/v81n10p1719.cfm
16. Philadelphia Pannel
    Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines on Selected Rehabilitation Interventions for Neck Pain. Phys Ther 2001 ;81:1701-17 www.ptjournal.org/PTJournal/October2001/v81n10p1701.cfm
17. Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. Health care guideline: adult low back pain. Bloomington, MN: Institute of Clinical Systems Improvement; 2002