The diagnostic value of Red Flags in thoracolumbar pain: a systematic review.

Despite the use of single RF should not be recommended for the screening process in clinical practice, the combination of multiple RFs to enhance diagnostic accuracy is promising. Moreover, the identified RFs could be a baseline to develop a screening tool for patients with TLP.Implications for rehabilitationDifferential diagnosis and screening for referral are mandatory skills for each healthcare professional in direct access clinical settings, and should be the primary step for an appropriate management of a patient with signs and symptoms mimicking serious pathologies in thoracolumbar region.Clinical reasoning and decision-making processes are essential throughout all phases of a patient's pathway of care. By which, the use of single Red Flag (RF) as a self-contained screening tool should not be recommended. The combination of multiple RFs promises to increase diagnostic accuracy and could grow into an excellent screening tool for thoracolumbar pain.