Baseline patient characteristics (n=183)
| Patient characteristics | Mean/ distribution % | (SD) |
| Age | 46 | (12) |
| Male sex | 56 | |
| Duration of pain (median in days) | 16 | |
| 14 days or less | 48 | |
| 15–30 days | 26 | |
| More than 30 days | 26 | |
| Any previous episode of pain in the leg | 37 | |
| Any previous episode of low back pain | 73 | |
| Visual analogue scale (mm) | ||
| Major complaint | 85 | (17) |
| Pain in the leg | 65 | (21) |
| Low back pain | 47 | (32) |
| McGill pain questionnaire: | ||
| PRI-A | 3.7 | (3.1) |
| PRI-S | 10.0 | (5.8) |
| Paresis | 18 | |
| Sensory loss | 42 | |
| Reflex differences | ||
| Ankle tendon | 20 | |
| Knee tendon | 7 | |
| Nerve root compression on MRI | 59 | |
| Comorbidity | 34 | |
| Sports: | ||
| No | 56 | |
| 1–2 hours/week | 24 | |
| 3 or more hours/week | 20 | |
| Employed | 61 | |
| Receiving worker's compensation | 8 | |
| Requiring surgery in next 6 months (n=30) | 16 | |