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Steven J Linton

Publications and source records attributed to Steven J Linton.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

Identification of obstacles for chronic pain patients to return to work: evaluation of a questionnaire.

The Obstacles to Return-to-Work Questionnaire (ORQ) was developed and evaluated. A total of 154 patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain and prolonged work disability participated in the study. Factor analyses reduced the ORQ to 55 items grouped into 9 subscales. The subscales were named "Depression," "Pain intensity," "Difficulties at work return," "Physical workload and harmfulness," "Social support at work," "Worry due to sick leave," "Work satisfaction," "Family situation and support," and "Perceived prognosis of work return." The subscales showed satisfactory reliability. In order to determine predictive validity a discriminant analysis was conducted with sick leave 9 months after assessment as the outcome. This analysis indicated that the scales "Perceived prognosis of work return," "Social support at work," "Physical workload and harmfulness," "Depression," and "Pain intensity" could significantly predict sick leave and correctly classified 79% of the patients. The Multidimensional Pain Inventory and the Disability Rating Index could also significantly predict sick leave in this sample and correctly classified as many patients as the ORQ. However, these questionnaires do not include any work-oriented items and they had a lower specificity than the ORQ. This study suggests that patients' perceptions and beliefs about work and returning to work may be a significant hindrance for actual recovery.

Back Pain↗
PubMed2002

The back pain beliefs of health care providers: are we fear-avoidant?

The purpose of this study was to survey the level of fear-avoidance beliefs for practicing general practitioners and physical therapists and to relate this to self-reported practice behaviors for patients with back pain. To this end, 60 general practitioners and 71 physical therapists were recruited. These participants completed a questionnaire including 11 items slightly revised from instruments designed to assess fear-avoidance beliefs in patients, and four items about treatment practices. The results indicated that these health care practitioners on the average generally held beliefs that are consistent with the current evidence, but there were also indications that some practitioners held beliefs reflecting fear-avoidance. More than two-thirds reported that they would advise a patient to avoid painful movements, more than one-third believed a reduction in pain is a prerequisite for return-to-work, while more than 25% reported that they believe sick leave is a good treatment for back pain. These beliefs were found to be related to reported practice behavior. Those with high levels of fear-avoidance beliefs were compared to those with low levels. Those with high levels of fear-avoidance belief had an increased risk for believing sick leave to be a good treatment (RR = 2.0; 90%CI = 1.02-3.92), not providing good information about activities (RR = 1.7; 90%CI = 1.19-2.45), and being uncertain about identifying patients at risk for developing persistent pain problems (RR = 1.5; 90%CI = 1.00-2.27). It is concluded that some practitioners hold beliefs reflecting fear-avoidance and that these beliefs may influence treatment practice.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2001

The impact of psychologically different patient groups on outcome after a vocational rehabilitation program for long-term spinal pain patients.

A better knowledge of differential treatment outcomes for subgroups of chronic spinal pain patients may, for instance, help clinicians in treatment planning or pain researchers in treatment outcome research. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the predictive validity of a subgroup classification based on the Swedish version of the (West Haven Yale) Multidimensional Pain Inventory, the MPI-S. Patients referred to a vocational rehabilitation program were classified into one of three groups, labeled 'adaptive copers', 'dysfunctional' patients, and 'interpersonally distressed' patients, and followed over an 18-month follow-up period. The outcome variables were absence from work (defined as sick listing plus early retirement), general health status, and utilization of health care resources. To our knowledge, the predictive validity of the MPI subgroups has not been evaluated regarding sick listing and early retirement after rehabilitation. As hypothesized, the results showed that the 'dysfunctional' patient group had significantly more registered absences from work and reported higher utilization of health care, over the follow-up period compared to the 'adaptive copers'. Furthermore, as hypothesized, the 'interpersonally distressed' and 'dysfunctional' patient groups report a poorer general health status than the 'adaptive copers' over the whole follow-up period. However, contrary to our hypothesis, the proportion of improved patients did not differ significantly between the subgroups. Altogether, the predictive validity of the MPI-S subgroup classification was mainly confirmed. The clinical implications of this study suggest that the matching of treatment to patient needs may enhance treatment outcome, reduce pain and suffering among chronic spinal pain patients and facilitate a better health economic allocation of treatment resources.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed2000

Fear-avoidance and its consequences in chronic musculoskeletal pain: a state of the art.

In an attempt to explain how and why some individuals with musculoskeletal pain develop a chronic pain syndrome, Lethem et al. (Lethem J, Slade PD, Troup JDG, Bentley G. Outline of fear-avoidance model of exaggerated pain perceptions. Behav Res Ther 1983; 21: 401-408).ntroduced a so-called 'fear-avoidance' model. The central concept of their model is fear of pain. 'Confrontation' and 'avoidance' are postulated as the two extreme responses to this fear, of which the former leads to the reduction of fear over time. The latter, however, leads to the maintenance or exacerbation of fear, possibly generating a phobic state. In the last decade, an increasing number of investigations have corroborated and refined the fear-avoidance model. The aim of this paper is to review the existing evidence for the mediating role of pain-related fear, and its immediate and long-term consequences in the initiation and maintenance of chronic pain disability. We first highlight possible precursors of pain-related fear including the role negative appraisal of internal and external stimuli, negative affectivity and anxiety sensitivity may play. Subsequently, a number of fear-related processes will be discussed including escape and avoidance behaviors resulting in poor behavioral performance, hypervigilance to internal and external illness information, muscular reactivity, and physical disuse in terms of deconditioning and guarded movement. We also review the available assessment methods for the quantification of pain-related fear and avoidance. Finally, we discuss the implications of the recent findings for the prevention and treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Although there are still a number of unresolved issues which merit future research attention, pain-related fear and avoidance appear to be an essential feature of the development of a chronic problem for a substantial number of patients with musculoskeletal pain.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1998

Reliability and factor structure of the Multidimensional Pain Inventory--Swedish Language Version (MPI-S).

The psychological assessment of chronic pain is often accomplished using questionnaires such as the (West Haven-Yale) Multidimensional Pain Inventory ((WHY)MPI) which is constructed to capture the multidimensionality of chronic pain. The (WHY)MPI theoretically originates from behavioural and cognitive behavioural theories of pain. It is divided into three parts and measures psychosocial and behavioural consequences of pain. This questionnaire has displayed satisfactory psychometric properties and translations of the original English version into German and Dutch have been demonstrated to be reliable and valid. The aim of this study was to test the reliability and factor structure of a Swedish translation of the (WHY)MPI, the MPI-S, and also to test the generalisability of the factor structure found for the (WHY)MPI. We performed analyses of internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha, and carried out a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) employing LISREL-8 on a population of 682 patients suffering from chronic musculoskeletal pain. Test-retest analysis was accomplished on a sub-sample of 54 individuals taken from the aforementioned population. For sections 1 and 2 of the MPI-S the overall reliability and stability were good, and after the exclusion of four items, the factor structure was similar to other versions of the MPI. For section 3, despite removal of five questions, the proposed factor structure could not be replicated. This part of the inventory is designed to measure the extent of different types of activities, and our results suggest that this section may only be used for assessing general activity level. We conclude that, with a few adjustments, the analyses yielded satisfactory results for sections 1 and 2 of the MPI-S regarding its factor structure, reliability and generalisability. For section 3 the hypothesised factor structure could not be confirmed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

A controlled study of the effects of an early intervention on acute musculoskeletal pain problems.

Current conceptions of chronic pain clearly suggest that proper care at the acute stage should prevent the development of chronic problems. Patients (198) seeking help for acute musculoskeletal pain (MSP), e.g., back and neck pain participated in two studies of the effects of an Early Active intervention which underscored 'well' behavior and function compared to a Treatment as usual control group. The quantity of the Early Active treatment was a median of 1 doctor's appointment and 3 meetings with a physical therapist. Study I concerned patients with a prior history of sick-listing for MSP, while study II involved patients with no prior history of MSP. Treatment satisfaction, pain experience, activities and sickness absenteeism were assessed before, after and at a 12-month follow-up. In study I (patients with a history of MSP), the results showed significant improvements for both groups, but virtually no differences between the groups. Similarly, in study II (no history of MSP) both groups demonstrated significant improvements, e.g., for pain intensity and activity levels. However, the Early Active treatment resulted in significantly less sick-listing relative to the control group. Moreover, the risk of developing chronic (> 200 sick days) pain was 8 times lower for the Early Activation group. This investigation shows that relatively simple changes in treatment result in reduced sickness absenteeism for 'first-time' sufferers only. Consequently, the content and timing of treatment for pain appear to be crucial. Properly administered early intervention may therefore decrease sick leave and prevent chronic problems, thus saving considerable resources.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1989

The secondary prevention of low back pain: a controlled study with follow-up.

The current investigation studied the effectiveness of a secondary prevention program for nurses with back pain who were deemed at risk for developing a chronic problem. A 2 X 3 repeated measures design was employed with 2 groups and 3 assessment periods. The treatment group received an intervention designed to reduce current problems, but above all to prevent reinjury and minor pains from becoming chronic medical problems, and it included a physical and behavioral therapy package. The control group was placed on a waiting-list. Results indicated that the treatment group had significantly greater improvements than the control group for pain intensity, anxiety, sleep quality and fatigue ratings, observed pain behavior, activities, mood, and helplessness. These differences were generally maintained at the 6 month follow-up. In addition, the treatment group broke a trend for increasing amounts of pain-related absenteeism, while the control group did not. Taken as a whole, the results suggest that a secondary prevention program aimed at altering life style factors may represent an effective method for dealing with musculoskeletal pain problems.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1989

Validation of an observation method of pain assessment in non-chronic back pain.

An observation method for assessing chronic pain in back pain and rheumatoid arthritis has been developed during the last decade in the U.S.A. This study examined the validity and reliability of the method for a non-chronic back pain population from another culture. Two trained observers recorded pain behaviors displayed by 61 Swedish subjects during a 10 min, videorecorded, standardized sequence of maneuvers. Subjects were asked to make ratings of their pain intensity, depression, helplessness and disability level. A physical examination was performed by an orthopedist to obtain objective medical information about the subjects. Results showed that interrater as well as test-retest reliability were satisfactory. Correlations between pain behavior and other measures of pain, e.g., intensity ratings, medication intake, and spinal mobility, were statistically significant but somewhat lower than expected. The results indicate that the behavioral observation method provides reliable and valid information about non-chronic back pain among Swedish females. However, some modifications in the standardized sequence of maneuvers and the definitions of pain behaviors may be necessary to improve the utility of the method in this population.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Behavioral remediation of chronic pain: a status report.

The literature concerning the behavioral treatment of chronic pain other than headache was reviewed with particular emphasis on those studies being published since the most recent reviews from 1982. In general, the quality of these studies is much better than those included in the previous reviews. Several studies used broad outcome measures and many studies employed control conditions. The critical examination indicates that the operant program is effective in increasing activity levels and in decreasing medication consumption, and probably also in improving reported levels of pain and mood. Relaxation, in the form of biofeedback, showed mixed results. However, progressive relaxation and relaxation used as a coping strategy, proved to be useful especially in controlling pain ratings. No additional studies of pure 'cognitive' methods were found and the multimodal studies continued to be methodologically problematic. It was concluded that there is substantial evidence for the efficacy of some behavioral treatments for chronic pain. The comparative work suggests that relaxation may be a particularly valuable tool in remediating reported pain intensity. One question is which methods are most effective and economical and it remains for future research to find an answer. The data also suggest that treatment gains tend to be maintained and that patients continue to use assigned techniques although at a lower rate than recommended. Finally, it was pointed out that rehabilitation seldom leads to 100% improvement. Consequently, the need for prevention was stressed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1985

The relationship between activity and chronic back pain.

Thirty chronic back pain patients participated in a study of the relationship between activity level and pain intensity. Activity is presumed to cause increases in pain. If this is true, then chronic sufferers should regulate their activities so that when they have pain, they should avoid participating in activities. This assumption was examined by comparing pain intensity with several measures of activity. The activity measures ranged from global reports to observed behaviour. The results showed that patients do report a connection between activity and pain on a global interview question, and patients with much pain tend to make lower ratings of ability to participate in daily activities. However, no significant correlation was found between pain intensity and actual activity levels as measured by self-monitoring or observed behaviour in a test situation. These findings provide little support for the idea that activity level is directly related to chronic pain intensity and they underscore the importance of comprehensive behavioural assessment.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1983

A clinical comparison of two pain scales: correlation, remembering chronic pain, and a measure of compliance.

Fifteen chronic pain patients rated their pain intensity on both a visual analogue scale and a verbal scale so that comparisons between the scales could be made for each subject. Compliance to fill in the rating blanks and the remembering of pain intensity were also studied. Subjects first made a pre-baseline estimate of their pain and then they rated their pain throughout a baseline and treatment period averaging 5 weeks. Four to 9 weeks after baseline, subjects were asked to remember how much pain they had had at baseline and to confidentially provide ratings concerning their compliance. Results indicated that two-thirds of the individual subjects had significant correlations between the scales with a mean of 0.68. The one-third of the subjects who did not have significant correlations also had significantly less variability in their ratings than did subjects with significant correlations. This low level of variability may account for the lack of a significant correlation between the scales for these subjects. Discrepancies between actual baseline and remembered pain ratings were observed on both rating scales, but the visual analogue scale produced significantly greater discrepancies than the verbal scale. This was mainly because subjects tended to overestimate their baseline pain on the visual analogue scale, while discrepancies on the verbal scale were in both directions (overestimations, underestimations) when taken as a group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1982

The accuracy of remembering chronic pain.

Twelve chronic pain patients were employed in an investigation of the accuracy of memory for chronic pain. Subjects first made pain ratings before entering a treatment program. At dismissal 3-11 weeks later they were asked to remember how much pain they had had at baseline. Results show that patients remembered having significantly more pain than they actually rated during the baseline period. Caution is therefore warranted when using post-hoc pain measures with chronic pain patients.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Early identification of patients at risk of developing a persistent back problem: the predictive validity of the Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: To test the predictive utility of the Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire in identifying patients at risk for developing persistent back pain problems. DESIGN: Prospective, where participants completed the questionnaire and their cases were followed for 6 months to assess outcome with regard to pain, function, and absenteeism due to sickness. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred seven patients, recruited from seven primary care units. RESULTS: Discriminant analyses showed that the items on the questionnaire were significantly related to future problems. For absenteeism due to sickness, 68% of the patients were correctly classified into one of three groups, whereas an even distribution would have produced 33%. The analyses for function correctly classified 81%, and for pain 71%, into one of two groups, compared with a chance level of 50%. A total score analysis demonstrated that a cutoff score of 90 points had a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 65% for absenteeism due to sickness, and a sensitivity of 74% and a specificity of 79% for functional ability. CONCLUSIONS: The results underscore that psychological variables are related to outcome 6 months later, and they replicate and extend earlier findings indicating that the Orebro Screening Questionnaire is a clinically reliable and valid instrument. The total score was a relatively good predictor of future absenteeism due to sickness as well as function, but not of pain. The results suggest that the instrument could be of value in isolating patients in need of early interventions and may promote the use of appropriate interventions for patients with psychological risk factors.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Screening to identify patients at risk: profiles of psychological risk factors for early intervention.

There is a serious need to provide effective early interventions that prevent the development of persistent pain and disability. Identifying patients at risk for this development is an important step. Our aim was to explore whether distinct subgroups of individuals with similar response patterns on a screening questionnaire exist. Moreover, the objective was to then relate these groups to future outcomes, for example, sick leave as an impetus for developing tailored interventions that might better prevent chronic problems. A total of 363 patients seeking primary care for acute or subacute spinal pain completed the Orebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire and were then followed to determine outcome. Cluster analysis was used to identify subgroups. Validity was tested using 3 methods including the split-half technique. The subgroups were compared prospectively on outcome measures obtained 1 year later. Using pain intensity, fear-avoidance beliefs, function, and mood, we found 4 distinct profiles: Fear-Avoidant, Distressed Fear-Avoidant, Low Risk, and Low Risk-Depressed Mood. These 4 subgroups were also robust in all 3 of the validity procedures. The 4 subgroups were clearly related to outcome. Although the low risk profiles had virtually no one developing long-term sick leave, the Fear-Avoidant profile had 35% and the Distressed Fear-Avoidant profile 62% developing long-term sick leave. Our results suggest that fear-avoidance and distress are important factors in the development of pain-related disability and may serve as a key for early identification. Providing interventions specific to the factors isolated in the profiles should enhance the prevention of persistent pain and disability.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effects of cognitive-behavioral and physical therapy preventive interventions on pain-related sick leave: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Recent recommendations suggest that reassuring patients with an acute bout of low back pain and encouraging a return to normal activities may be helpful in preventing the development of chronic disability. There is also a question as to whether psychologic or physical therapy interventions actually add anything to such reassurance and advice in terms of preventing chronicity. This study aimed to ascertain the preventive effects on future sick leave and health-care utilization of adding on a cognitive-behavioral group intervention or a cognitive-behavioral group intervention and preventive physical therapy (focused on activity and exercise) relative to a minimal treatment group (examination, reassurance, and activity advice). SUBJECTS: A total of 185 patients seeking care for nonspecific back or neck pain who were employed and at risk for developing long-term disability volunteered to participate in the study. Of these 185, 158 (85%) completed the pre- and 1-year follow-up assessments. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed on the key outcome variables of future health-care utilization and work absenteeism. For health-care utilization, the cognitive-behavioral intervention group and preventive physical therapy group had significantly fewer healthcare visits than did the Minimal Treatment Group. For work absenteeism, the cognitive-behavioral intervention group and cognitive-behavioral intervention and preventive physical therapy group had fewer days during the 12-month follow-up than did the Minimal Treatment Group. The risk for developing long-term sick disability leave was more than five-fold higher in the Minimal Group as compared with the other 2 groups. However, there was no difference between the cognitive-behavioral intervention group and cognitive-behavioral intervention and preventive physical therapy group on sick leave. CONCLUSION: Taken as a whole, this study shows that adding cognitive-behavioral intervention and cognitive-behavioral intervention and preventive physical therapy can enhance the prevention of long-term disability. There was no substantial difference in the results between the cognitive-behavioral intervention group and cognitive-behavioral intervention and preventive physical therapy group.

Back Pain↗