Oswestry ODI · 4 minutes
Low back pain disability (Oswestry ODI)
Ten questions about how back pain affects daily function. Score is expressed as percent disability — a key metric for deciding between conservative care, injection therapy, and surgical evaluation.
Pain intensity
Educational tool — not a diagnosis. Oswestry Disability Index (ODI v2.1a), Fairbank & Pynsent 2000. Most widely cited disability measure in spine outcomes research.
Frequently asked
Plain-language answers about back pain, this screener, and what evaluation costs at a Class A hospital in China.
- What's a typical ODI score for needing surgery?
- ODI ≥ 40% with imaging-confirmed structural cause is a common threshold for surgical consideration. ODI alone is not a surgical indication — it is one of several factors weighed alongside MRI, response to conservative care, and red-flag symptoms.
- What conservative options should I try first?
- Structured physiotherapy 6–12 weeks, NSAIDs, and (in selected cases) epidural steroid injections are typical first-line. Class A pain medicine departments in China offer this as a structured 2-week intensive block at $400–800.
- What spine surgery costs in China for international patients?
- Microdiscectomy at a Class A spine centre is typically $4,500–7,500 all-in (vs $25,000–60,000 in the US). Multilevel fusion ranges $12,000–22,000 depending on hardware and approach.
About this screener
Oswestry Disability Index (ODI v2.1a), Fairbank & Pynsent 2000. Most widely cited disability measure in spine outcomes research.
What this screener covers
- Low back pain(ICD-10 M54.5)
- Lumbar disc herniation(ICD-10 M51.2)
Validated source
Medical review
Reviewed by Panda Touring Care medical team (Orthopaedics coordinator review) · last reviewed 2025-04-01
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