| American Academy of Family Physicians |
The American Academy of Family Physicians, founded in 1947, is one of the largest national medical organizations, with more than 94,000 members in the U.S. and its territories. Until 1971, it was known as the American Academy of General Practice. The name was changed to reflect more accurately the changing nature of primary health care. The Academy promotes and maintains high quality standards for family doctors who are providing continuing comprehensive health care to the public. |
| American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons |
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) provides education and practice management services for orthopaedic surgeons and allied health professionals. The Academy also serves as an advocate for improved patient care, and informs the public about the science of orthopaedics. Founded at Northwestern University as a not-for-profit organization in 1933, the Academy has grown from a small organization serving fewer than 500 members to the world's largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists. The Academy now serves about 24,000 members internationally. |
| National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine |
The National Library of Medicine (NLM), on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., is the world's largest medical library. Its collections stand at more than 7 million items. NLM is a national resource for all U.S. health science libraries through a National Network of Libraries of Medicine. Information is available in the database MEDLINE, the major component of PubMed, which is freely accessible via the web (http://www.nlm.nih.gov). NLM has created a special Web site, MedlinePlus, to link the general public to many sources of consumer health information. |
| National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) |
Part of the National Institutes of Health, NINDS purpose is to reduce the burden of neurological disease, including back pain. Some of the research conducted by NINDS consists of testing different drug treatments for back pain, as well as investigating complimentary and alternative medicine therapies. |
| U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) |
The FDA web site includes a description of "What to Do When Your Back Is in Pain", an article describing back pain, treatment options and helpful exercises to alleviate pain as well as ways to prevent back injury. |
| National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) |
As part of their Handouts on Health, NIAMS developed this booklet on back pain: "This booklet is for people who have back pain, as well as family members, friends, and others who want to find out more about it". It contains extensive information on the causes, diagnosis, treatments, and research programs currently being pursued in order to improve the quality of life for people who suffer from back pain. |
